SUNDAY SPECIAL | A WOMAN COACHING BOYS

HEBRON | Brenda Drook realizes the significance of her historical hiring as Hebron's boys head basketball coach.

The 43-year-old mother of twin 5-year-old boys became only the second female in Indiana's storied past to be named the head coach of a boys varsity team in Indiana.

"I'm going to add a lot of pressure to myself, because I know all of the eyes in the state are going to be focused on me and how I do," Drook said. "I'm going to be putting in a lot of time preparing -- I would anyway -- but there's going to be added pressure because I'm a woman."

A woman coaching varsity boys basketball is not only uncommon, it's basically nonexistent.

According to Tim Flannery, Assistant Director of the National Federation of State High School Association's, 91 percent of white males are entrenched in head coaching positions for boys sports.

There are approximately one million boys coaches in grades 7 through 12 in the United States.

When it comes to boys basketball, the percentage of women doesn't even register.

"It's a very small fraction of a percent," Flannery said. "We know there's not that many."

Dori Roth, who coached at Fort Wayne Christian from 1991-97, is the only other woman to coach a boys varsity hoops team in Indiana.

Roth, who now coaches freshman girls basketball in Kansas, said she's thrilled another woman has earned the opportunity to coach in what is truly a male-dominated profession.

"I would say the biggest thing is gaining the respect from other coaches," Roth said. "I really felt like my players respected me, and, for the most part, the officials. I had the support of the parents and the community and the expectations weren't that high because it was a small, private school. But I would just say I felt that I always had to prove myself to my coaching peers."

Former Hebron boys coach Dennis Foster, who hired Drook, was pleased to find out she was the school's new coach.

"It's the smartest move the school board in Hebron has made in the last 14 years, or however long there's been a school board," said Foster, who coached the Hawks from 1986-98, and now lives in Arizona. "She's very familiar with the kids and she makes the kids work hard. I don't know what the talent level is there, but I think she's going to do as good a job as can be done."

After 13 years of coaching the boys J.V. team, Drook is ready to accept the challenge.

"I'm going to set a trend no matter what I do, so I want to make sure what I do is something positive, and maybe opens doors for some other women, but that's not why I took the job," Drook said. "I took the job to take Hebron in a positive direction. I think I can do that, but people are going to analyze me and the job I do. Whether I want to be in the limelight or not, it's going to happen."

Mike DeFries, who stepped down as Hebron's head coach in March after a 12-11 season, said Drook, a former assistant, is ready for the challenge.

"I think it's a great thing she was hired for the job and I'm going to help her out any way I can," DeFries said.

Interestingly enough, while Drook knows her Xs and Os, emphasizes discipline and strong defense, there's a fiery side to her as well.

"Between the two of us, if one of us was closer to Bob Knight, it was her," DeFries said. "She'd get in the players' faces and tell it like it is, before I would. I've heard people say I'm more of a Homer Drew-type of coach, but she's more like Knight."

The added pressure of being the only female head boys coach in the state might put extra pressure on Drook.

"It shouldn't, but it will," DeFries said. "But Brenda likes a challenge. I hope she does great."

Until recently, Drook never really pictured herself as a boys varsity head coach, even though she'd coached boys J.V. teams for 13 years.

When asked if she was a trend-setter, Drook laughed.

She said there are so many men in women's programs now, why not have women show they can coach as well as men.

Brenda's husband, Bill, spent more than 20 years coaching basketball, including 12 at LaCrosse. He realizes his wife has a huge challenge.

"There's more scouting and preparation involved at the varsity level," he said. "I think that's going to be the biggest difference for her. Otherwise, I'd advise her to continue to do what she's been doing, because that's what got her the job and made her as successful as she's been. Everything will be under a microscope, but she can't let that hold her back -- she can't second-guess herself."

Drook is a little apprehensive about her new job, partly because of the pressure she puts on herself and the expectations others might have for her.

"Am I nervous? Yes, because of the simple fact I want to do so well," she said. "I'm very competitive and don't like to lose. It's going to be very tough, because everything is going to be scrutinized."