Why Bellefonte graduate Kris Glunt left the Red Raiders to coach their cross-town rivals
Bald Eagle announced the hiring of its new boys’ basketball coach last week and it was a familiar face to the local community.
Kris Glunt was hired to lead the Eagles after spending time at the helm of their cross-town rivals. Glunt decided to leave the Bellefonte boys’ basketball team for Bald Eagle after four years in charge of the Red Raiders, adding a new layer to an already-intense rivalry.
Bald Eagle athletic director Doug Dyke hired Glunt, in part, because of his experience as a head coach.
“His experience helped,” Dyke said. “But he also has a very thought-out, detailed plan of how he goes about things. It’s very structured. ... That’s how he stood out.”
The head coach made the decision in order to be more involved with the community he lives in.
“I live in the Bald Eagle Area School District,” Glunt said. “This allows me to kind of more fully commit myself and have a direct impact. But it also allows me to continue to fulfill my passion for coaching while being able to involve my family a little bit more in that process.”
Glunt’s decision to leave Bellefonte was complicated by the years he spent building relationships at the school and within the program. The former Red Raider coach graduated from Bellefonte in 2000 and will be leaving behind plenty of connections.
“It was very difficult to leave,” he said. “I had a lot of time spent at Bellefonte and a lot of relationships I developed. I’m really proud of what we accomplished on a lot of levels.”
Those relationships will keep the animosity between schools low off the court, but Glunt expects to get his former players’ best when the rivals meet every season. They told him as much when he informed them of his decision to leave the program to take the Bald Eagle job.
“I had a Zoom call with my former players at Bellefonte and they assured me they were coming after me,” Glunt said with a laugh. “I think it probably adds a little bit of a spark in some ways, but when these two teams meet, there’s no need to add anything to the equation. The kids always play hard. There’s always a lot of drama, and so whatever side you’re on, there’s a lot of excitement.”
The games between the Eagles and Red Raiders are already the most intense of the season for both schools, and this can only add to that on-court ferocity. Dyke doesn’t think the Glunt hire will have too much of an impact from that standpoint because of how competitive the games already are, although it could affect them in the short-term.
“Maybe it will (add intensity) for a little bit,” Dyke said, “but overall, probably not. The first time or two they play each other, they could be even more intense. With the time of year the games are played, you can already throw out the team’s records (because of the rivalry).”
The rivalry can be intense in the world of athletics and Glunt believes it could add another aspect to his transition that wouldn’t happen in a shift to any other coaching position.
“I think there’s kind of an awkward transition because of that rivalry,” Glunt said. “I think a lot of people very close to the situation had some disappointment, but everybody that I’ve had the opportunity to speak with respected the decision. There was no ill will in any shape or form and that’s what made it so difficult.”
For Glunt, even with the awkwardness, the decision had to be made. He wanted to uphold one of the values he instills in his players when he’s coaching them.
“I’ve told my players over the years, because we tried to focus on more than just basketball, to prioritize the things in your life,” he said. “And we always start with family. I got to a place where I felt like if I don’t make this decision to transition to Bald Eagle, then I’m probably not taking the advice that I give our players.”
He continued: “Nothing means more to me than family. Basketball is one of my first loves, but it comes below family. This is just an opportunity to combine them both and make sure I’m as relevant as I can be, and involved as I can be, with my three boys in the community while they grow.”
This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
