He won titles. But that's not what York High's hoops coach will remember as he steps down

As a high school student, Clovis Gallon never made York High’s basketball team.

And yet he ended up spending more than two decades with the program including the last eight as its leader.

Gallon confirmed Tuesday night he is resigning as the Bearcats head coach. York High’s season ended with a 66-56 road loss to Red Lion in the first round of the District 3 Class 6A tournament. The Bearcats finished the season 14-9.

A longtime special education teacher in the City of York School District, the 48-year-old Gallon said he's taken a new position with the Pennsylvania State Education Association in Mechanicsburg.

“I’m about to embark on some new journeys and it’s time for me to get some of that time back,” he said. “It was quite a journey here.”

Gallon led the Bearcats to a 116-81 record over the past eight seasons. He guided the program to five District 3 playoff appearances, three trips to the state playoffs and two appearances in the YAIAA title game. His 2018 team made a surprise run to the District 3 Class 5A title game and his 2019 team won the league title.

But his effect on the program goes even deeper. He spent five years as a junior high or freshman coach. Then he spent 10 years as the top assistant under Troy Sowers. The Bearcats won four league titles, three District 3 titles and reached the 2009 PIAA title game during that run.

For Gallon, the wins and gold medals aren't what he'll remember most about his coaching tenure.

"It's the relationships you build and watching them grow into old men," he said. "I just told the kids, 'You'll remember this stuff forever but don't let this be the highlight on your life. Continue to grow. The lessons you learned here are analogous to all aspects of life.'"

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The 'gift and curse' of coaching family

Gallon learned that lesson during his own high school days.

He graduated from York High in 1993, the same year as legendary Bearcats Emne’ko Sweeney and Omar Brown. The boys' basketball team in those years — including a state Final Four team in 1992 — was so loaded that Gallon never made the roster.

But a connection to Lincoln University's athletic director helped him earn a roster spot at the HBCU. He ended up coaching an intramural team in the offseason.

"I thought I'd like to go back and do this at my alma mater," he said.

When he was named head coach in 2016 following Sowers' resignation, he took over a program that needed something of a reset following a 12-11 season. The Bearcats went 7-14 his first year.

They didn't make the league tournament the following year in 2018 ... then improbably reached the District 3 title game with a stunning overtime upset of a powerhouse Northeastern team.

York High won the league title and went 24-5 in 2019. That team was likely the best group Gallon had in his eight years as head coach, and it featured his sons, Clovis Jr. and Cameron.

Gallon said the experience of coaching his children shaped him as a leader and person.

"It was the gift and the curse," he said. "I was able to instill in them what it takes to be a complete player and they learned to play the right way. It was a struggle driving home after a loss or at the dinner table. You can stretch the boundary a little further with how hard you push them. They taught me a lot about how to dial it back."

The definition of success

A lifelong York resident, Gallon is passionate about the city and school and tries to stay in touch with players from all eras. He's had Tavon Parker, the 2013 YAIAA Player of the Year and now a local motivational speaker, get involved with the program in recent years.

He's proud 2019 grad Seth Bernstein and 2018 grad Kyree Generett recently became teachers.

And he hopes to build those same bonds with players from this year's team. He took time to speak about every senior on the roster after Tuesday's game.

"The success of your players is what make me feel good," Gallon said. "Just knowing you had some influence on them or played a small part."

This was a challenging season for the Bearcats. They had huge expectations after reaching the YAIAA title game last season, but Division I recruit point guard Daveyon Lydner transferred to a prep school. Leading scorer Juelz Tucker was dismissed from the program for a "violation of team rules" at the end of last month.

But they still won four straight games to finish the regular season and battled Red Lion in a physical and emotional game Tuesday. Junior David Warde was outstanding with 27 points and will need to take another step forward on a young team next season.

Gallon isn't sure if he'll coach again but is grateful to have gotten the opportunity in his hometown.

"Nothing is absolute except death and even death is just part of a transition," he said. "I wouldn't rule anything out but in the foreseeable future I'm just looking to get away for a little bit."

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York High basketball coach Clovis Gallon to resign after eight years