There’s a coaching vacancy at Bridgeport High School. And it’s one many may not have heard about.

 

When you hear the background, you may not understand why. After all, the coach leaving this sport has coached in it at various levels, including as a varsity head coach at South Harrison, for nearly 35 years. There was also a four-year stint in the 1980s where he coached the Central Junior High girls team to three titles. And while there were no state titles during the run on the varsity side of things, the coach has plenty of state championships to his credit. In fact, he has eight state titles.

 

Why no noise?

 

The main reason is that the coach leaving is leaving the Indians’ freshman basketball program after 10 years. And the coach in question, if the eight titles didn’t give it away, is Robert Shields.

 

“An opportunity presented itself. It was a chance to move up in the coaching ranks and I felt it was time,” said Shields.

 

Shields will be the new assistant varsity girls’ basketball coach at Robert C. Byrd High School. He’ll work with Coach John Griffin.

 

The move ends a 10-year run at Bridgeport High School. It’s also the third change in Shields’ long basketball career that rivals his time as a baseball coach; most of it spent at BHS.

 

Shields started his career in 1985 as the freshman coach at Lincoln High School. He stayed there until 1988. After that, he spent 19 years at South Harrison High School where he managed to get the Hawks to the state tournament during his run.

 

After that, he came to the school where he teaches to serve as freshman coach in 2009 and stayed there until this year. Shields said he had a lot of fun and did a lot of unique things that made the experience positive.

 

“Every kid that played for me for 10 years got to start at least one game. I know some parents didn’t always agree with that, but no kid can hurt your team if they’re out there starting for a couple of minutes if they just play hard and play defense,” he said. “I let the kids play a lot because you’re building for the jayvee and varsity programs and you need to see who you have. On top of that, it was the last time playing basketball that the kids got to play with their own group because after freshman ball you’re mixed in with the upper classmen.”

 

Shields said he also tried to make the occasional 5:30 a.m. practices special at the high school when gym time was available. He said he would run the practices exactly like a varsity practice and even break down film. However, he was extremely thankful he said, for the administration at Bridgeport Middle School and last year Johnson Elementary School for allowing their teams to have a more flexible schedule.

 

“Those were some highlights, but as a competitive coach it’s hard when you’re not playing in any real championships or tournaments,” said Shields. “We still competed with all the Class AAA schools and did well; winning more than 70 percent of our games.”

 

Shields said, even after three and a half decades, the move is to get him back to where he wants to be – and that’s to eventually head a varsity boys’ or girls’ program. And he’s thankful for the opportunity Griffin gave him.

 

“I wanted to find a challenge and called John and asked him if it was a good idea for me to apply. I always felt that was the old-school, proper way to do it and he told me to put my name in, and I did,” said Shields. “The goal is still the same and that’s to make the Byrd program better.

 

"i'm passionate about basketball and baseball and I was always passionate when I coached football," he continued. "That's not changing."

 

While it may be a new experience with the girls and it’s the first time coaching at RCB, the coaching isn’t new and some of the players he’ll be coaching won’t be new – at least personally. Shields said he’ll be working with the daughters of men he’s coached or known for a long time in Brady Lowther, Tommy Lopez, Billy Childers and Sam Gallo.

 

“That’s just to name a few people I know and that just adds to the excitement,” he said.

 

Even though he’s looking at the new challenge and is thankful that his wife “supports me 100 percent to try and move up,” he said it still wasn’t easy.

 

“It’s hard to leave Bridgeport because of the kids. I see them in physical education class, and it will make it tough to leave during basketball season,” said Shields. “I know that, but it’s time to move on.”

 

As for his replacement, Bridgeport High School Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Mark Jones said one has not yet been named.