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Madison coach tries to follow father’s winning lead

Rossi has Mohawks shooting for title

John "Butch" Rossi, who coached Fenwick to its only state basketball title, died in 2005.

Madison High School girls basketball assistant coach Todd Malott lifts head coach John Rossi Jr. off the floor in celebration of a 56-53 win over Columbus Africentric on Wednesday, March 10, during a Division III regional semifinal game in Springfield.

Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Madison High School girls basketball assistant coach Todd Malott lifts head coach John Rossi Jr. off the floor in celebration of a 56-53 win over Columbus Africentric on Wednesday, March 10, during a Division III regional semifinal game in Springfield.

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By Rick McCrabb, Columnist 1:05 AM Saturday, March 13, 2010

MADISON TWP. — For a community that proclaims itself the “Basketball Capital of Ohio,” the Middletown area has been lost on the map. The last team to win a high school state championship from this area was Fenwick High School, and that was 28 years ago when John “Butch” Rossi led the Falcons to the 1982 Class A title.

A quick history lesson for our younger readers: Rossi coached Fenwick for 31 seasons, compiled a 402-279 record and coached the team to its only state basketball title.

Rossi, a member of the Ohio High School Coaches Hall of Fame, died in 2005 of pancreatic cancer. He was 70.

Now another Rossi, John Rossi Jr. — the oldest of 10 children born to Butch and Mary Ann — is three wins from bringing another state basketball championship to the area.

Rossi Jr. coaches the undefeated Madison High School’s girls basketball team, which faces Versailles today, March 13, in the Division III regional final in Springfield. A win today, and the Mohawks (25-0) advance to the Final Four next week in Columbus.

The Rossi family certainly knows its way around Columbus. John Rossi Jr. attended numerous boys basketball tournament games with his father, a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association board of directors.

Now John Rossi Jr. wants to see a championship game from the sidelines, not the stands.

The irony isn’t lost on Mary Ann Rossi. She said Butch was 47 when he won the state title.

John Rossi Jr. is 47.

“Maybe that’s an omen,” she said. “Maybe this will happen. I feel it in my bones.”

Rossi family rejoices in girls hoops success

No wonder Madison High’s girls basketball team is undefeated, and one win from advancing to the Division III girls high school basketball Final Four in Columbus.

They’re using two extra players.

But don’t call the Ohio High School Athletic Association and demand an investigation. There’s nothing illegal here.

When Mary Ann Rossi, whose son coaches the Madison girls, visits Woodside Cemetery in Middletown, she speaks to her late husband, John “Butch” Rossi, the legendary boys basketball coach at Fenwick High School, who died in 2005; and her grandson, John Brady Rossi, who was born premature and died in 1998.

Rossi and Brady are buried in the same family plot.

“I ask the little angels to use their wings to help guide the ball where it’s supposed to go, and to guide Johnny’s mind what he should do,” Mary Ann said about her son, John Rossi Jr., Friday afternoon.

The angels are listening.

The Madison Mohawks, 25-0, are three games from bringing the first state basketball championship back to the Middletown area since Butch Rossi coached the Fenwick Falcons to a 1982 title.

Now that pressure falls on Rossi’s oldest child, John Rossi Jr., in his sixth season at Madison.

Rossi, a sales director for Dickerson Distributing in Monroe, graduated from Fenwick, and has spent his entire adult life coaching basketball, following his father’s footsteps.

“The apple didn’t fall far,” he said with a smile.

Rossi coached eighth-graders at John XXIII, served as an assistant under his father, and coached girls varsity teams at Fenwick for three seasons, then at Middletown High School for three seasons and now at Madison.

The Mohawks, untested during the regular season, have won five tournament games, the last one, a three-pointer over Columbus Africentric.

As the buzzer sounded, Rossi, his tie loosened, raised his arms skyward, then, unable to find anyone, was lifted off his feet by assistant coach Todd Malott.

“I got a little excited,” Rossi said. “Sometimes that happens.”

Around Madison, excitement has become contagious. The boys basketball team, coached by Jeff Smith, one of Rossi’s close friends, is 24-0 and playing for a regional championship Wednesday, March 17.

A win today pushes the Mohawks’ boys and girls record to 50-0.

John “Butch” Rossi would have thoroughly enjoyed this season. He would have owned the seat behind the bench, right next to his wife.

Rossi Jr. was asked what his father would think of the Mohawks’ tournament run and his son’s coaching.

“Man, that’s a tough question,” Rossi said, his eyes filling with tears.

He removed his glasses and wiped the tears that streamed down his cheeks.

“That one got me. Sorry.”

Later, he added: “If I’m half the man he was, I’ll be pretty good. If they see some of Dad in me, that means I’m a good person. I’m not living through him, but when people say I remind them of Dad, that’s quite a compliment.”

He referred to Butch Rossi as his father, his mentor, his coach, one of his best friends.

“We had a good relationship,” Rossi said.

Mary Ann wasn’t surprised by her son’s emotions.

“He misses his dad so much,” she said. “They always talked about basketball, strategy. His dad is on his back right now helping him along.”

The Rossi story can’t be told without a chapter filled with heartache. John and Shari Rossi, married for 13 years, were thrilled when they learned she was pregnant with their first child. But John Brady Rossi was born premature and he died on Dec. 12, 1998.

Shari became pregnant again, and delivered Jacob Rossi on Jan. 4, 2000.

Now 10, Jacob, a third grader, looks forward to attending the boys basketball state tournament with his father.

He’s hoping to get out of school for two days to watch his father coach.

Like Rossi Jr. said: “The apple didn’t fall far.”

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