Reed talks wins, losses, relationships at Sports Club

Looking back on his career, former Greenbrier coach Tommy Reed quickly points to relationships — and of course wins and losses.

“As old coaches, you don’t like to talk about wins and losses,” said Reed, addressing the Arkansas Sports Club at Monday’s meeting at Ryan’s Steakhouse. “You talk about friends and those who help you get where you are now.

“I’m kind of the opposite in a way. I still talk about wins and losses. The losses hurt a lot more, and the wins feel good.”

Reed had plenty of wins and losses during his coaching career. After graduating from Leachville High School (now Buffalo Island Central) in 1970, Reed went on to Arkansas State University. He walked on the basketball team as a freshman and just played the one year.

“After my freshman year, I knew I didn’t need to be there as a player,” Reed said. “I stayed on as a student and stayed close to the program.”

From there, Reed had coaching stints at Jonesboro Westside Junior High, Yellville and Morrilton Junior High before coaching at Greenbrier, where he coached both basketball and baseball. Most notably for Reed at Greenbrier, he guided the Panthers to a 1984 state baseball championship. That same year, Brian Wiedower threw a perfect game in the state tournament — the only time that has ever happened at any level at a state tournament. Greenbrier finished as state runners-up the following year.

“At Greenbrier, I was very fortunate,” Reed said. “I had great players and a good administration.”

His basketball teams went to three state semifinals. But it wasn’t just how well the teams did that Reed remembers.

“I got to know a lot of people and became great friends,” said Reed, who now serves as an assistant principal at Greenbrier. “It really impacted my life.”

Reed has been had some form of job in the education field for 36 years, including 23 at Greenbrier. He also helped coach the Lady Panthers softball team when it got started. In 2002, Reed was named to the Arkansas Softball Hall of Fame.

Reed’s first stint at Greenbrier was from 1981-88. He then went to Benton before joining Don Dyer’s staff on the men’s basketball team at the University of Central Arkansas.

That brought to mind past games against former crosstown rival Hendrix as he thought about this Friday’s game between the two schools — the first meeting since 1992.

“I’ll never forget the feelings I got when we had to go over and play Hendrix,” Reed said. “Those rivalries were tremendous.”

So were the national championship games that aired on ESPN in 1991 and 1992, though Reed doesn’t won to relieve those games.

“I won’t watch it,” Reed said. “It still hurts me.

“Coach Dyer was a bigtime coach. He paid attention to detail. He outworked everyone and made me work.”

That’s the kind of work Reed has had during his time on the sidelines and in administration. Much of what he’s done he credits to his past.

The Arkansas Sports Club finished its 2009 drive with 114 members, an all-time high. The next meeting will be the icon luncheon Dec. 14 when former Arkansas athletic director and coach Frank Broyles will speak.