COLON — Steve Vinson guided the Colon boys basketball program to an impressive five consecutive district titles.
The fifth one will be his final. Last week, Vinson announced he would be stepping down as the leader of the Magi program after a seven-year stint that was pretty successful. Colon finished with an overall record of 113-52 under Vinson’s coaching. This year the Magi earned a spot in the school’s first quarterfinals appearance for the boys.
That meant Colon won the school’s first regional championship as the Magi made their way through the MHSAA hoops tournament and finished as one of the final eight teams remaining in Division 4.
This year was one where Colon believed they had a strong team heading into the season. Vinson and the squad wanted to leave their mark. They often talked about having a successful year and being a shining example for the youth hoopers as well as the community.
“We talked about legacy this entire year. I knew it was going to be a special year and I tried everything I could to help the guys realize how special this team was and how very few Colon teams have ever had the level of success we were experiencing,” Vinson said. “Obviously going out with a regional championship and ending the season with the most ever wins in a season puts this team as one of the best who have ever done it at Colon. It’s kind of like a ‘sail off into the sunset’ moment for me I guess.”
Vinson admitted he’s been thinking about stepping away for a couple of years now. After each of his previous six seasons, when the year came to a close, he promised himself to be able to take some time and think it over to the fullest extent.
And following each of those six seasons, he knew the itch to keep coaching would re-kindle itself and five him the motivation to return to the sidelines. But this time, the itch did not return. It’s certainly not a bad thing and the coach made the decision that it was time.
“This year was different. I didn’t get that burning desire to step back in the ring. Part of me knows that I will regret not being there in the gym, especially on game nights,” he said. “That’s the competitiveness in me. However, the biggest part of me knows how much of a grind basketball season is and that each season was getting harder and harder to keep the desire to compete alive.”
There is a longstanding adage that coaches know when it’s time to step away. Some stay too long. When Vinson finally made the decision to walk away, it wasn’t a decision he took lightly.
A fierce competitor who was a pretty good hooper in his own right, Vinson eclipsed the 100-win plateau during the season. He credited long-standing assistant coaches Ted Stoll and Steve Tomlinson for his success over the years as well. As Vinson put it, a coach is only as good as his surrounding staff — and often times his players as well.
“We wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without them by my side,” Vinson said. “I can’t thank them enough for what they brought to the table for our program.”
When it came to preparation, Vinson and the coaching staff always put in the work to give the team the best chance to win. Often times, that meant Vinson was a bit of a hot mess — his words — leading up to games.
“t seemed I was always worried about how we would compete, no matter who we were going to play,” he said. “Once the game started it was a different story. My nerves would settle in and it was like the crowd wasn’t even there. It was just me, my coaching staff and the players figuring out how to win games.”
Colon finished the season with a pair of Associated Press All-State selections. Dalton Williams (First Team) and Quincy Blair (honorable mention) were both seniors who helped lead Colon to the quarterfinals. Seniors Colin Trattles and Brennan Morrell also played their final year for the school. Jeremiah West, just a sophomore, was also a starter for the Magi this season.
Vinson said coaching can be a bit smoother with players who are willing to put in the work and push the program forward.
“We’ve been blessed to have some pretty phenomenal athletes during my tenure. Having great athletes makes any coach’s job that much easier,” he said. “I hope the level of success we’ve had has inspired the younger Magi players to continue the winning culture that we’ve built. There are several talented players in our system and I can’t wait to see the future successes they will have.”
Vinson has also played a major role beyond the basketball court as well. Helping to develop his student-athletes into well-rounded young men was always on his list in building the foundation for their futures.
A dedicated husband, father and grandfather, Vinson will still be seen around the community at sporting events. Now, he’ll be taking in the action as a viewer only. It probably won’t be easy for him, but they say all good things eventually come to an end.
This isn’t the end for Vinson outside of the basketball courts, obviously. But for now, it was just time to step away from the hardwoods.
Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Colon Magi boys basketball coach Steve Vinson talks stepping away