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Show a publication of The Spanish Fork News 7 Bingham named top coach Chad Vest STAPF WRITER SFHS Golf Coach John Bingham was voted best coach for 2008. It seems appropriate since this was Bingham s last year at SFHS. This feature on Bingham originally ran in the April 16, 2008 edition of the News. John Bingham has been a math teacher and golf coach for nearly 25 years. He learned to love and respect the game of golf as a young teenager and later graduated from SF High in '71 where he starred in football and his first love, golf. Bingham then pursued a bachelor's degree at BYU and majored in chemistry. After graduating from the Y, Bingham began working at Geneva Steel in Orem which helped him provide for his young family. But the steel company shut down in the early eighties so he decided to go back and get his teaching certificate. Upon completion, he found an opportunity to teach at the SF Jr. High in 1983 when he was 30 years of age. During his two year stint, he coached the ninth grade golf teams and even coached some basketball. In 1985 he was moved down to the high school to continue his teaching profession and help then head golf coach, Bob Backman, as an assistant. In 1988, Backman retired from coaching and soon after, Bingham was named his successor. This past fall marked his 20th year at the helm of an amazing program. However, the coach who won 14 straight region titles dating to last fall recently retired as the Dons Golf Coach. Fourteen consecutive region championships is a school record. In 20 years he has amassed many match-play victories but even more mind-bog- gling is his 70 percent winning percentage of taking home the region crown. It is most definitely among the elite records throughout the state, and it will be near impossible to break or even tie that streak in golf or any other sport. Bingham also collected three state championships, and his teams played for the state title in five consecutive years. But even with all of the success and trophies. Coach talked about the number one lesson he'd like his players to remember him for. '"Golf is one of the few games that is played with a lot of honor, honesty and integrity," said Bingham. "It's not politically motivated. You have to go out and compete to shoot the scores to win. I've tried to really instill in everybody about honor, honesty and integrity and that's why golf is such a great game. Those are great attributes I think everybody should have." During his tenure as head coach and even from day one, he has stressed several key Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News factors which have lead to his A PLAYER'S COACH: Coach John Bingham has won region and state championships over his 20 teams' success. First off, he years as SFHS golf coach. He's also had an impact on a lot of young golfers. taught his players to trust themdidn't have money like other selves and their swing. Several of Bingham's for- past seven years. "He's always had high ex- schools' programs and had "Golf is such a game of mer players commented on confidence," said Bingham. "If why they enjoyed him as a pectations for his players and never taken a professional lesyou start to bow down to the coach and what made him so didn't settle for mediocre ef- son but they became awesome fort or performances," Justin because of John's help. I thank pressure, you will fall apart, so successful. "He was very competitive," said, "He's always pushed his Coach B for teaching us all to you need to practice enough so that you can trust your swing. said Brandon Nelson who had players in practice to play fast. play the best game; bar none." But during the golf season, we Bingham as a ninth grade and He did that because the faster Doug Snell, SFHS athletic worked on the short game a lot assistant coach. "He always we get through the rounds, the director commented on Bingwith the chipping and putting wanted us to do well. He cer- more holes we could play in ham's success and shared what because that's what makes the tainly made me proud to have practice each day before it got he will miss most about the difference in winning or los- been a Spanish Fork Don golfer. dark." Dons' head golf coach. That string of wins is something ing." Mat Larsen played for "If he's not the most sucI'm very proud of even though Coach Bingham from eighth cessful coach in terms of region Besides raw talent. Coach I wasn't directly involved with grade through his senior year. championships in SF history, mentioned that the single most important asset he looked for in those teams other than going to "Usually, the success of a golf he's certainly in the top five," program is directly correlated said Snell. "But what I'm going players was being a competitor. the alumni tournament." Apparently it has paid dividends Justin Nelson played his se- with how much money is in to miss is his friendship. We've in big ways as Spanish Fork has nior season in Bingham's open- the town," said Larsen. "But had a good one over the years been consistently the top team ing debut as head coach. He John has done it in spite of that. and I know he had a great relato beat in Utah County. also was his assistant for the There has been players' who tionship with the golfers." |