Dec. 19, 2011

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Ask new Nashua High School North boys basketball head coach Steve Lane his biggest influence, and he won’t tell you Tom Penders, his first college coach at the University of Rhode Island in the late 1980s.

Nor will he list Al Skinner, who took over at URI when Penders landed his next job, a year later, at the University of Texas. Skinner would eventually take over the program at Boston College.

When Skinner, like many coaches, brought in his own recruits, Lane transferred to UMass Lowell, where he’d be allowed to play two sports again, basketball and baseball.

His basketball coach at Lowell was Stan Van Gundy, the same guy who calls the shots now for the Orlando Magic.

All three left their imprint on Lane, but his biggest coaching influence, no doubt, was his father, Ellis “Sonny” Lane, the longtime high school head coach in Wakefield, Mass., whose notable players included current U.S. Senator Scott Brown.

About the only time father and son didn’t talk basketball strategy at the breakfast table was the two days a year when Lane was preparing to lead his own Reading High School team against his dad’s in the Middlesex League.

Lane seemed destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. He came up through the coaching ranks after college, coaching freshmen and junior varsity basketball in Reading, before landing the head coaching position for the Rockets at the age of 28.

But complications off the court would intervene. By then Lane was teaching at Elm Street Junior High in Nashua. He and his wife had found a house they could afford in Wilton and adopted the first of their three children. Lane was diagnosed with diabetes, and the rigors of all the commuting were taking a toll.

So 13 years ago, his No. 1 priority now a young family, Lane gave up coaching basketball, although the talented golfer and former State Am finalists would sign on as varsity golf coach at Nashua South.

Lane always knew he’d be back on the sidelines. He stayed in the game by scouting for teaching colleague and friend Chris Gaudreau, who had landed the head coaching job at Bow.

Then last spring, when the head coaching position opened up at North, Lane figured it was time. The days are long. He doesn’t spend as much time with his wife and three children as he’d like.

And in the 13 years since he last coached, kids have changed. Fewer and fewer play multiple sports, like Lane did. Now, for many of his players, it’s non-stop basketball for 12 months a year.

His challenge at North is to take a talented group of seniors, five of whom started as juniors, and get them to finally reach their potential. Last year’s team was sidetracked by academic suspensions, injuries and other issues.

“We’ve had talent for a long time, I think this year it’s going to all come together,’’ senior captain Mike O’Connor said at practice on Wednesday night. “(Coach Lane) is very positive and everyone is giving 100 percent every day for him.’’

Lane is still relatively young, but there’s an old-school approach to his methods. And if he needs a primer on today’s athletes, Gaudreau, who left Bow a year ago, has signed on as his top assistant.

“I’ve been trying to convince him for years to get back into coaching,” Gaudreau said. “It’s definitely in his blood.’’

Lane, meanwhile, says now that he’s back he’s in it for the long haul.

While Penders might not have been his biggest influence, the style that resulted in a 27-4 season – including a Sweet 16 loss to Duke in Lane’s freshman year at URI – was in evidence during Friday night’s opener against Exeter – a 50-46 victory for the Titans.

“His style was very conducive to how I like to play,’’ Lane said. “It’s running up and down the floor, full-court pressure defense, taking open looks and playing together as a team.’’

The focus on defense, which O’Connor says has been a priority during the preseason, might have come from his two years playing for Van Gundy at Lowell. Getting high school kids to buy into the total package is the challenge.

“I’m enjoying it,’’ Lane said, “but to be honest it’s a lot of work with this crew, who have some serious work ethic issues.

“They are learning how to work, how to play hard every day and to play together. And if we don’t we have other kids who could fill in and take their spots.’’

Lane has nine seniors on varsity, but likes what he sees at the younger level and says he’s thrilled to have Gaudreau, who worked under Nate Mazerolle at South before taking the Bow job, at his side.

“Having him is a godsend,” Lane said, “because the kids will learn how to play the right way.”

Just like Lane did under a list of mentors that led with his dad.