Bairnsfather humbled by honor

But that still is overwhelming for the humble Bairnsfather.

The new gym held its ribbon cutting and hosted its first-ever basketball game Tuesday.

“It’s a great honor,” said Bairnsfather, who celebrated his 90th birthday last week. “If I wasn’t so old, I would want to get in it and coach. It’s a fine-looking building. The people have been wanting this for a long time.”

Bairnsfather was boys basketball coach at Monterey from 1959 to 1992 when he took over as principal at the school until 1997.

Bairnsfather, who received only one technical foul in 33 years, was 619-474 at Monterey, claiming nine distinct champions and 10 runners-up.

“You have to be a positive example for the kids,” Bairnsfather said.

In 1998, Bairnsfather was named. Mr. Louisiana in basketball, the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches’ top award.

Bairnsfather led Monterey to the Class C state finals in 1982 where the Wolves fell to Pineview.

Bairnsfather, who graduated from LSU in 1951, coached in the Louisiana All-Star Basketball Game in 1982, and was named Coach of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches in Class A, Class B and Class C.

He was also named Coach of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association in Class C.

Bairnsfather was nominated as a National High School Coach of the YEAR IN 1982, when his team won its first 28 games. He has coached several all-state players and had several chosen to play in the state all-star game, including son Joe Bairnsfather in 1976.

Bairnsfather, who also coached baseball at Monterey, graduated from Monterey in 1951, and returned to the school in 1956 as a teacher. He kept score for former Monterey coach O’Dare Hammett. He replaced Hammett as coach in 1959.

“One of the greatest things about coaching is the players still want to come back and talk about when they played here,” Bairnsfather said. “They love going over things that happened years ago. And there are certainly a lot of great memories in that old gym. But I’m glad to see us get a new one.”

Bairnsfather served as Grand Marshal of Monterey’s first Homecoming Parade on January 7.

“I enjoyed the kids at Monterey,” Bairnsfather said. “I coached children of some of the parents, and then I got out of it there were even some grandchildren of the players I coached in junior high.

“People take a lot of pride in the basketball program here A lot of people look forward to basketball It’s more than just an athletic event. Our players worked hard, they were dedicated and loved the game. I just tried to help them excel on and off the court, also teaching them something besides the game of basketball.”