Losing a legend: Harry DeFrank, 1926-2007
Harry DeFrank spent the last 10 or so years of his
Trinity girls' basketball coaching career hounded by the question of whether or
not this would be the year he retired.
It made sense for a man coaching through his 70s who had a open-heart surgery in
1998, even though his skills and the team's wins showed no signs of decline.
Each year, Harry would say," I feel fine, why wouldn't I keep coaching?"
That was for the record.
Then he'd pull you aside and offer his real reason: "If I stop coaching, what am
I going to do? It keeps me going. It keeps me sharp. I think it keeps me alive."
He'd smile and hand you a mint, but you knew he
meant it.
Just about one month after
DeFrank retired, ending a storied 23-year career, the Steelton native died
early this morning after collapsing in his bathroom. He was 81 years old. He
leaves behind his wife, Jean, four children, 10 grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren, with two more on the way.
Sean Kieff, DeFrank's grandson, said the family is currently working on funeral
arrangements, with Friday or Saturday the targeted dates, somewhere in Steelton.
"They called the paramedics and everything, and he was pronounced dead sometime
early this morning," Kieff said. "He never responded after he collapsed. I don't
know if it is classified as a heart attack or he just shut down, and I don't
know if they will know, because there probably won't be an autopsy. We know it's
heart related."
DeFrank ended his 23-year career at Trinity with a
record of 585-127 as well as a pair of state titles. He leaves the Trinity
program in strong shape with former player and assistant coach Kristi Britten
being announced as the new head coach this week. The loose ends are tied up.
The impact he had on numerous kids who played through the system is his lasting
legacy. Twenty-one of them earned NCAA Division I scholarships, numerous others
played at Division II and Division III schools.
And large numbers of them visited or contacted him when he announced his
retirement at the end of May.
That was a just reward for a man to see why he kept barking out orders on the
sidelines, pushing kids to reach their potential and do things the right way. He
loved selfless players, and he made sure everyone and anyone knew the value of a
good bounce pass.
He never wanted to quit doing what he loved, and he always seemed fearful of
what would happen if he did.
"It was doctor's orders, he said he thinks I should quit," DeFrank said in late
May, just a week after the defibrillator implanted in his chest went off twice,
saving his life at the time.
Kieff said his grandfather hadn't really been "right" since that incident and
resulting trip to the hospital, something Harry echoed at times throughout the
past month.
And in the end, with basketball finished, Harry proved again that he always knew
what he was talking about.
"We all kind of feel that way, that (the medical issue) wasn't the way he wanted
to leave (coaching)," Kieff said. "We were all afraid of (something happening).
But when the doctors said it was time to give it up, he resigned himself, he
lost his will."