Boys basketball coach Jim Buller was ready for the first win of the 2012-2013 season. Jim is now the winningest boys basketball coach in Elkhart County history, but was especially looking forward to passing the benchmark, which has stood since 1948, in order to take the focus off his record and back to the team. Jim Buller often tries to undermine the excitement and attention of passing the record of 364 wins with comments about his growing team, but the buzz surrounding Jim and his record-breaking night is hard to downplay.
He got his last needed win Thursday night, with Bethany Christian High School hosting Howe Military. The Bruins came out on top, beating the Wildcats 54-45. Sol Brenneman (‘15) and Caleb Morris (‘13) led the team with 20 and 13 points respectively, both with strong offensive games. “Several things we did showed youth and immaturity, but the guys are working hard and we are improving,” Jim said following his record-breaking game. “We’re going to try to build this a little at a time and see where we can go.” Following the win Caleb Morris (‘13) said, “It feels great to help Jim get the record. He is a great coach and I can’t think of someone that deserves it more. He brushes the record off as longevity, but his longevity is also something to be celebrated.”
Jim Buller has coached high school boys basketball for 33 years, all spent at his alma mater, Bethany Christian High School. His coaching career started with a phone call from an old friend. “I was all set to enter graduate school to study psychology when a high school basketball teammate of mine, Warren Yoder, called and wanted to talk to me about what he thought was an interesting opportunity,” Jim said. “Bethany had three different coaches in the three previous seasons. Warren was interested and talked to me about the job. I finally said I will if you will and we ended up being co-coaches the first season.” As a high school player he was coached by Dan Bodiker, who is now an assistant to Jim. For four years he also coached his son Jordan, who went on to play at Goshen College.
For Jim Buller, the relationships matter more than the number of wins. Bethany Christian Athletic Director Benji Hurst commented on Jim’s coaching outlook. “Jim cares about his kids beyond the basketball court. He sees the athlete as a whole person. I have seen him at school musicals and other programs that his players have been involved in. Jim is concerned about his players at home, at church and in all other aspects of their lives.”
One of the biggest questions that repeatedly gets asked of Jim is how he has stayed at Bethany so long. The answer, or part of it, is Jim’s focus on relationships. Jim doesn’t only teach basketball skills, but also stresses the importance of strong leadership and respect. To him, captains are not just a measure of skill but an understanding of respect. When asked about his coach, captain Caleb Morris (‘13) says, “Jim has been a great influence on my life. His teachings on and off the basketball court have helped me become a better basketball player but more importantly, a better leader.”
To Jim, the satisfaction of winning 365 boys basketball games is not as important as the relationships with the players. Jim has a perspective that maybe differs from other area coaches. He has a unique attitude, stating, “The friendships I have forged with former players run deep and will last a lifetime, and [those relationships] are the most satisfying part of my career.”
Differing coaching mindsets aside, most of the area high school basketball coaches hold Jim in high regard. In a Goshen News interview with former Jimtown coach Randy DeShone, he commented on Buller, “There isn’t a person in education or coaching that I respect more than Jim, he is in education and coaching for the right reason and that is the kids.”
Although Jim’s coaching focus may not have changed much over his time at Bethany, the game and rules of it have. Some IHSAA restrictions on coaches’ contact with athletes in the offseason have been removed, making it easier to keep relationships but players have less time to refresh for upcoming seasons. Jim says, “The summer used to be a period when you could rest and recover. It’s not that way anymore. Everything is more organized with AAU and travel teams. In the past you could see kids playing 2-on-2 in a driveway. You don’t see as much of that these days.”
Dan Bodiker feels that Jim should get more recognition. “Some may overlook how good he is because his career record is close to .500. Gordon Mosson, who used to coach at John Glenn and then was an assistant at Argos, came up to me when we played Argos and said he had a new appreciation for what Jim has gone through at a smaller school.”
However, Jim takes the opposite attitude. “What I’ve done is just more a recognition that Bethany’s been patient.” However, Jim’s tenure is the result of hard work and dedication. Bethany boy’s basketball has been positively influenced by Jim for 33 years, and now the name attached to the Elkhart County record is his with 365 wins and counting.
~Katie Hurst