Steve Jenkins’ impact on Springfield-area basketball lives on through former players, coaches

During his nearly four-decade run as Evangel’s men’s basketball coach, Steve Jenkins had an open-door policy.

Over the years, hundreds of student-athletes took advantage. Conversations didn’t always have to be about basketball. A father figure to many, Jenkins, one of the best storytellers you could know, would also talk about life.

Those conversations will be missed.

Jenkins died Thursday at 72.

Who Jenkins was, on and off the court, helped shape Evangel basketball players for 39 years. Some of those young men turned out to be leaders in the Springfield area, including basketball coaches who lead the next generation.

Those who loved Jenkins will make sure his impact never goes away.

“We get so wrapped up in wins and losses and the stress of the game,” said Nixa coach Brock Blansit, who played for Evangel from 1993-97. “But at the end of the day, it’s really not that important. The way you treat kids? You’ll always remember. Kids will never forget how I treated them and I’ll never forget how he treated me. He was like a father figure.”

Evangel coach Steve Jenkins during a practice in 2010. The longtime Evangel coach died on Thursday.

Blansit is one of more than 30 former players and staff members currently holding coaching positions nationwide who are considered a part of Jenkins’ coaching tree. The list includes current Evangel coach Bert Capel, a member of the 2002 NAIA national championship team, who has led the Valor to three straight national tournament appearances.

It also includes Blansit, Kickapoo coach Mitch McHenry, first-year Ozark coach Jayme Donnelly and Hillcrest’s Jordan Fielding — who all lead notable high school programs in the Ozarks.

Jenkins’ influence lives through each of their programs as they shape the next generation.

“The coach has an impact but it’s never about us,” McHenry said. “He never made it about him. He took the blame when the blame wasn’t his. He tried to make this short career in basketball that the majority of us have and tried to make it a…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/steve-jenkins-impact-springfield-area-090315872.html

Author : Springfield News-Leader

Publish date : 2024-11-12 09:03:00

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