Delaware: Maciey looks to right the ship at Middletown

"What made the job attractive was the opportunity to coach at a high school that has won state championships and just needed a young and ambitious coach to rebuild and set a foundation to get them back on the path of their previous success," says Maciey, whose coaching resume includes serving as an assistant for one year at Goldey-Beacom College before becoming the head junior varsity coach at the Tatnall School.

It’s been a rough start for Middletown (2-8, 0-3 Blue Hen Flight A), but wins against district rival Appoquinimink and Caravel Academy, coupled with close losses to St. Elizabeth and Brandywine, have given the Middletown faithful hope for a brighter future.

"We are really excited to have Jasen onboard," Middletown athletic director Joe Lahutsky says. "He brings a lot of energy and passion to the position, and I think the players are responding well to him. We are looking forward to seeing him turn around the boys’ program."

Maciey hopes the experiences he’s gained as a player and coach at both the high school and college level will help him build the foundation for a program he eventually hopes to put his own winning touches on.

"I felt with the amount of winning programs I’ve played on and coached with, I would take something from each program," Maciey, who played at St. Mark’s High School, Wilmington University and Goldey-Beacom, said of his strategy to return Middletown to its glory days. "I’m applying the experiences I’ve had and the knowledge I’ve gained elsewhere to build my own program at the high school level."

Off the court Maciey faces a less-than-ideal situation of not working in the school building where his players spend the better part of their lives. As an assistant sample manager for Critical Path Services, he doesn’t have the advantage most coaches have of being able to keep a direct eye on what his players do in school outside of the gymnasium. But Maciey made sure from day one that his players knew he would be keeping tabs on them.

"My speech at the first basketball meeting was, ‘We are going to learn to be respectful and become disciplined on and off the basketball court,’" said Maciey, who oversees a mandatory after-school study hall on the days when the Cavaliers have an evening practice.

On the court Middletown implements a help-centered defense, with Maciey stressing to his players that the best offenses are typically created by effective and disciplined defenses; and that any team, regardless of height or ability, can play defense if it makes the effort.

When the Cavaliers get possession of the ball, they typically run a motion offense centered around the concept of creating mismatches on the floor to put players in positions to succeed. Maciey, a potent 3-point shooter as a player, says he isn’t against running the fast break, but preaches to his players that the key to a successful running team is to know when to push the ball up the floor and when to slow things down.

"I’m trying to teach discipline, and for us to know when it’s a good time to fast break and when it’s a good time to run a set offense," he says.

That lesson is just one of several the young head coach is trying to get across to a team laden with underclassmen. And it’s not just the players going through the learning process.

"One of the frustrating things for me is, while I might be able to put the team in the correct positions, I don’t have complete control of what the outcome is going to be," Maciey said. "One thing that is different than I expected is the amount of adjustments as a head coach you have to prepare the team for before, during and after the game. Knowing how your guys will handle certain situations and how to get them all to adjust in those circumstances is a big piece of the puzzle."

As that puzzle begins to take shape, Maciey hopes his players continue to buy into his long-term plan and realize that learning from the losses they are experiencing now can help lead to future successes, not just in basketball, but in life.

"My goal for the team hasn’t changed since day one of this rebuilding season, and that is to prepare my basketball team not only on the court, but for what life after basketball will bring," he says. "I’m trying to mold the players into good people and have them appreciate being part of a program, and to understand that it’s not always about the wins and losses."

The amount of time and energy required of a coaching staff and its players to rebuild a program is tremendous, and so far Maciey’s players have given him 110 percent on and off the court. The players’ high energy level is a reflection of their leader, who, as the saying goes, leaves it all on the court … starting on his team’s very first possession.

The buzz: Laurel senior Tomorrow Briddell scored her 1,000th point in the Bulldogs’ win over Nandua. … Appoquinimink junior A.J. English III returned from his five-game suspension to score 14 points in a 64-62 loss to Pencader Charter and 22 points in a 64-63 loss against Red Lion Christian Academy. … St. Mark’s High School and Salesianum School face off in the Second Annual Hockey For A Cause ice hockey games on Jan. 28 at the University of Delaware Fred Rust Ice Arena. Proceeds from the event will benefit DFRC Blue-Gold and the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. Admission is $5.