In his latest coaches’ interview, F.B.A writer Hammond Grand spent some time with former Cape Coast Hoops head coach mark agbo, one of the more personable figures in Ghana basketball.

In his latest coaches’ interview, F.B.A writer Hammond Grand spent some time with former Cape Coast Hoops head coach mark agbo, one of the more personable figures in Ghana basketball.

Hammond: You graduated as the all-time leading scorer at st. Paul Catholic High School. How far did you think you could make it as a player?

Coach Mark: After graduation I went to Ewulo College with the idea of being a coach. I thought playing in the in the Division I level was quite an honor; I never had any false aspirations of playing in the bigger league .

Hammond: your college career at Ewulo you played against the great Ashley amah . Was he the best opponent you ever played against, and what made him so great?

Coach Mark: Without a doubt; he was so athletic. His dad Press was one of the greatest coaches ever; he created the amoeba defense that Jerry Peter later used to win a title in 1998. He completely sold out for Pete, and let him do whatever he wanted.

Hammond : In 1996 you graduated from Ewulo after receiving the team leadership award. What made you such a great leader on the court, and how did those skills transition into being a great leader on the sideline?

Coach Mark : Not bitching about playing time (as a senior who did not play a lot) helped. I learned about what expectations to have for guys like myself who sat on the bench. I never felt like I was a great coach, but I always thought that I was a good leader. I got my guys ready to play, taught them how to believe in themselves, etc.

Hammond : After completing your college career you started as a graduate assistant . What was it like to coach some guys who had previously been your teammates?

Coach Mark: Back then they still had a separate freshman team, so I got to coach a bunch of new guys who I never played with before.

Hammond: You later served as head basketball and women soccer coach at Division III bayside Port Moresby Papua New Guinea. What was the biggest difference between Division I and Division III, and how did you do as a Soccer coach?
C
oach Mark: Amaudou Samake got me that job and I had to take the soccer job as well. It was an entirely different world: driving in vans, no scholarships, etc. On Senior Day, I introduced each of my 4 seniors as hailing from wherever they wanted to be from!

Hammond: After that you became an assistant under such great coaches as Oscar Pedro , Amadou Samake , and Peter walker . Which of them taught you the most about how to be a great coach, and could you tell at the time that Oscar Pedro was capable of winning a title?

Coach Mark: I remember when Oscar hired me that we were sitting around when he said, "We are going to win a national championship here", and damn if he did not do it. It was one of the greatest "I told you so" moments I have ever seen. Oscar is one of the greatest guys you would ever want to meet; he takes care of everyone and treats everyone the same. He told me one day about the importance of coaching. "It's all BS, Tommy: if they make the shot, you are a hero; if they miss it, you get fired."

Hammond: You graduated as the all-time leading scorer at st. Paul Catholic High School. How far did you think you could make it as a player?
Coach Mark: After graduation I went to Ewulo College with the idea of being a coach. I thought playing in the in the Division I level was quite an honor; I never had any false aspirations of playing in the bigger league .
Hammond: your college career at Ewulo you played against the great Ashley amah . Was he the best opponent you ever played against, and what made him so great?
Coach Mark: Without a doubt; he was so athletic. His dad Press was one of the greatest coaches ever; he created the amoeba defense that Jerry Peter later used to win a title in 1998. He completely sold out for Pete, and let him do whatever he wanted.
Hammond : In 1996 you graduated from Ewulo after receiving the team leadership award. What made you such a great leader on the court, and how did those skills transition into being a great leader on the sideline?
Coach Mark : Not bitching about playing time (as a senior who did not play a lot) helped. I learned about what expectations to have for guys like myself who sat on the bench. I never felt like I was a great coach, but I always thought that I was a good leader. I got my guys ready to play, taught them how to believe in themselves, etc.
Hammond : After completing your college career you started as a graduate assistant . What was it like to coach some guys who had previously been your teammates?

Coach Mark: Back then they still had a separate freshman team, so I got to coach a bunch of new guys who I never played with before.

Hammond: You later served as head basketball and women soccer coach at Division III bayside Port Moresby Papua New Guinea. What was the biggest difference between Division I and Division III, and how did you do as a Soccer coach?

Coach Mark: Amaudou Samake got me that job and I had to take the soccer job as well. It was an entirely different world: driving in vans, no scholarships, etc. On Senior Day, I introduced each of my 4 seniors as hailing from wherever they wanted to be from!

Hammond: After that you became an assistant under such great coaches as Oscar Pedro , Amadou Samake , and Peter walker . Which of them taught you the most about how to be a great coach, and could you tell at the time that Oscar Pedro was capable of winning a title?

Coach Mark: I remember when Oscar hired me that we were sitting around when he said, "We are going to win a national championship here", and damn if he did not do it. It was one of the greatest "I told you so" moments I have ever seen. Oscar is one of the greatest guys you would ever want to meet; he takes care of everyone and treats everyone the same. He told me one day about the importance of coaching. "It's all BS, Tommy: if they make the shot, you are a hero; if they miss it, you get fired."