Honesdale parts ways with longtime basketball coach Ron Rowe
HONESDALE — After nearly four decades as a fixture on the local basketball scene, Ron Rowe suddenly finds himself preparing for the next chapter of his Hall of Fame career.
On Tuesday morning, officials with the Wayne Highlands School District confirmed Rowe will not be back as girls varsity coach for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
“Mr. Rowe has had a long illustrious career as a basketball coach at Honesdale High School,” superintendent Gregory Frigoletto said.
“Several years back when we were looking for a veteran coach to help move the program forward we were thankful Coach Rowe stepped in. We are grateful for everything he has done.”
More: Gillian Goldstein is the unsung hero of Honesdale's girls varsity basketball team
Also by Kevin Edwards: Honesdale varsity basketball teams host annual Cancer Awareness games
For his part, Rowe regrets he won't return for what he believes could be a highly successful season. However, he said he is grateful for the time he's had mentoring the Lady Hornets.
“I've really enjoyed my years coaching at Honesdale,” he said. “This group of girls in particular is so much fun to be around. They're hard-working, competitive and funny. I'll miss them.”
Different directions
Rowe took over the Honesdale girls team in 2019, succeeding Pilar Beam.
Over the course of the next four seasons, he worked tirelessly to rebuild a program that had struggled to compete in the rugged Lackawanna League.
Before Rowe, the Lady Hornets captured three district titles in four years spanning 2012-2015. Since that run, however, they've suffered nine consecutive losing seasons and posted an overall record of 65-131 (.331 winning percentage).
During Rowe’s tenure, Honesdale showed signs of improvement, winning as many as 11 games and qualifying for the playoffs each year. His final line is 32-51.
Longtime friend and assistant coach Ed Martin believes Rowe’s leadership and positive impact on the program will be felt for years to come.
“There may be coaches who work as hard as Ron does year-round, but I guarantee you that no one ever worked harder,” Martin said. “No coach has ever cared about his players more than Ron.”
Player and coach
Rowe was born and raised in Wayne County. He attended Honesdale High School where he was a standout multi-sport athlete, playing baseball, soccer and basketball.
After graduating in 1969, he attended Temple University where he earned his teaching degree and returned to Honesdale.
He began his coaching career as an assistant on the youth football scene, serving on the staff of the Stingers A-Team. He then went on to coach junior high basketball, soccer and freshmen football.
Rowe's first opportunity at the varsity basketball level came early in 1979-80 when legendary skipper Tom Finan moved on from the boys team.
Rowe remained in that role for three decades, winning more than 300 games before finally stepping down after the 2008-09 season.
Looking ahead
So, what lies ahead for the the Lady Hornets?
The search for the next varsity coach will get underway immediately as district officials look to move in a new direction.
“As we move ahead, we look forward to seeing what the future holds for the girls basketball program,” Frigoletto said.
As for Rowe, he's open to whatever coaching opportunity that might present itself. At 72, he still loves sharing the wealth of knowledge he's acquired over the course of a long and successful career.
“I would definitely like to coach again,” he said. “I'm retired from teaching, so I have a lot of time and energy to give. And, I still love working with the kids.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale girls basketball team parts ways with veteran coach Ron Rowe
