Integrity, honesty and patience – these three qualities have helped Bryon Clouse be a mentor for his players on and off the court. In his 25th year of coaching basketball, Clouse hopes to bring a fourth consecutive winning season to Portage High School’s (PHS) Boys Basketball program.
Clouse knew as a junior at PHS that he wanted to coach basketball. Experiences in his high school basketball career prompted his desire to do things differently. Above all, Clouse wanted to be a positive mentor for the children as students, players and people.
A teaching degree in education from Indiana University Northwest was Clouse’s pathway to coaching, including roles as an assistant coach at Donald E. Gavit High School, Purdue University North Central (now Purdue University Northwest), and Morton High School, and as a head coach at Thomas A. Edison Jr. Sr. High School and Hanover Central High School. When a Boys Basketball head coach position opened up at PHS, he knew it was time to return to the place where his coaching dreams started.
“Portage being my alma mater, I always looked at it out of the corner of my eye,” Clouse said. “When the coaching job opened, it was a good opportunity for my family and I to move back. We were living in Cedar Lake for nine years, away from all of our family and friends we've known all of our life. If it would’ve happened a couple years earlier, I probably wouldn't have made the move, but it was perfect timing for us to come back.”
The team wasn’t going to function in the same ways it previously had when Clouse came in as the head coach. He brought in his coaching style to make the team his own, going so far as starting players who were willing to do it his way. Clouse was lucky to come into a great mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen his first year. Their adherence to his strict rules led to wins, which made it easier for them to buy into his system and for fans to follow.
Clouse was known for his explosive demeanor at games in his previous positions. He would throw his tie down, unbutton his shirt and scream in anger. Despite his screaming, Clouse has always strived to leave any negativity on the court. His players respect this, leading to their willingness to follow him. He actively shows his players that he cares and wants to see them improve as basketball players, whether they choose to play in college or not. They talk about more than basketball when he sees them around because who they are in life matters just as much as who they are on the court.
“The one thing I try to tell the boys all the time is to be honest and have integrity,” Clouse said. “Don't take the shortcuts. Don't cheat. If something isn't yours, don't take it. If it's not your business, don't get into it. Treat people the way you want to be treated. They understand I’m not going to treat kids differently. I’m going to treat them all the same. It's to maintain the balance there and show them you can be honest and have integrity and still succeed in this job.”
Being present in the community, outside of being a head coach and a physical education teacher at PHS, is important to Clouse because he wants to be a part of Portage. He’s visible and active in the community to build relationships and support local sports programs, such as the Portage Elementary Basketball League. Clouse hopes to make a positive impact on other community members and the next generation of athletes.
The community support for the team in Clouse’s time as a head coach has been powerful, matching a new wave of Portage energy. He’s witnessed packed gyms and ruckus crowds, things he believes are results of the crowd buying into the winning atmosphere. The student section, also known as the Portage Fanatics, is given a shirt every year by Clouse and exemplifies the city’s pride for the team. It’s an electric atmosphere worth seeing.
“I hope people catch a game or two here because this team is pretty exciting,” Clouse said. “We're in an era of Portage basketball. That doesn't happen all the time at any school, let alone here in Portage, so people should catch a game, see all the hard work these boys have done and cheer them on.”