THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 12, 1995 TAG: 9504120415
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Steve Basnight began his athletic career at age 4, as the mascot for his father's basketball teams at Manteo High.
Now, three decades later, the mascot is his alma mater's head football coach.
``I'm ecstatic,'' Basnight said Tuesday after he was named to succeed longtime Redskins Coach Moncie ``Punk'' Daniels. ``This is something I've always wanted.
``It's one of those things you dream about. My father coached here. If you can't play anymore coaching is the next best thing, and I always wanted to coach at Manteo.''
A 1979 Manteo High graduate, Basnight, 34, graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in social studies. A three-year starter at quarterback for the Manteo Redskins, Basnight earned all-conference honors as a senior.
Basnight joined the Manteo staff in 1985 as a junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant. For the past two seasons, he has served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.
The Redskins were 9-2 in 1994, and won the Northeastern Conference championship. Basnight called the prospect of following Daniels ``unimaginable.'' Daniels is retiring after 12 years as the school's head coach.
``It's difficult when you're following in the steps of two coaches like Coach Daniels and Jerry Cahoon,'' Basnight said. ````Those men are coaching legends. I hope that one day people will talk about me in the same terms that they talk about those two great men.''
Basnight may want to carve out his own niche as a head coach, but the Redskins' basic offensive and defensive philosophies will not change.
Offensively, Basnight borrows heavily from the freewheeling style of Florida State's Bobby Bowden and Florida's Steve Spurrier.
``I believe you have to aggressively attack on offense,'' he said. ``You have to put the defense in a position to do what they don't want to do. Defensively, we have always lined up in the 5-2. We want to be able to take away their options.''
``He added, ``I think we've got a good nucleus of talented kids who know what it takes to win.''
But Basnight said his most important challenge will be off the field.
``Yesterday, report cards came out, and I met with all of our football players and prospective players to talk about grades. That was my first act as head coach. We made it clear that if you want to be an athlete at Manteo High School, you have to be a student first.''
Basnight said he wants to continue a tradition he became part of as a boy.
``Manteo has always been known as a first-class program,'' he said. ``Even if we never put a win in the column, we will represent the school and the community with class.'' by CNB