They Played through the Echo of the Whistle: The story of how Valdosta State became a basketball dynasty

They Played Through the Echo of the Whistle shares the stirring story of the Valdosta State basketball dynasty which won 11 GIAC championships between 1960-72. The book traces the roots of the basketball program from 1954 through their climb to the mountaintop as a perennial conference champion through to their last season within the GIAC, 1972.

The story is told through the eyes of the coaches, staff, players, administrators, fans and community. While the memories of the team members are somewhat faded, many moments associated with this chapter of their lives were burned indelibly into their hearts and minds! These memorable moments are what the book presents through the stories, scores, and records surrounding each of the respective seasons, as well as the reasons why the Rebels were dominant during this era.

The interviews of former coaches, players, and staff, as well as their letters describing their years as a Rebel, confirmed that they passionately believe that athletics is one of the finest preparations for most of the intricacies, adversities, and darkness a human life can throw at you. The lessons they learned while playing basketball for the Rebels have proven to be priceless, both professionally and personally. The book shares with the reader the life lessons and leadership legacies uncovered within the wins, losses, and championships.

A clear legacy was the tradition of winning conference championships-winning 11 in 12 years between 1960-1972. Mike Perry explains the Colson legacy in this regard, writing “tradition cannot be bought; it must be earned. The process usually takes several years to take root, and if done correctly, will carry on for years. From 1961-1968, under Coach Colson’s leadership, the Valdosta State Rebels developed that Championship Tradition and culture,” which continued under Melvin and Dominey. Not until researching information and data for this book did the team members conclude that the Rebel teams of this era were in fact a dynasty within the GIAC. No other collegiate program in Georgia accomplished this level of dominance and a tradition of excellence within their respective conference.

As players and as a team, they remained in the moment, embracing the game within the context of the season, and focusing on the moment at hand. While those who played, coached, and served were aware of the accomplishments at the time, never once did we consider the breadth and scope of those accomplishments within the context of historical significance. It is a great life lesson for everyone – stay in the NOW, which is critical to any consistent success in life.

Bench Leadership Legacies and Leadership Lessons

An overwhelming sentiment among former players and staff was that one of the major contributing factors to our accomplishments was the “overall depth and quality of the coaching tree” in this era! Championship cultures begin with the Head Coach or CEO or President. Valdosta State basketball had an extraordinary pedigree of transformational leadership talent and skill in this era (and throughout the 20^th century) due to decisions made by Walter Cottingham, Gary Colson, Jim Melvin, and James Dominey.

Jim Nichols said “Looking back now and viewing the string of GIAC Championships, with every other conference team trying to knock us off, is quite an accomplishment. That Colson, Melvin, and Dominey were able to take an assortment of talent and mold it into championship teams-says a lot about their leadership talent and skills.”

– All four knew what they were looking for in talent and culture fit in their assistant and staff; following Jim Collins’ counsel in Built to Last, “Get the right people on the bus, get them in the right seat, and great things can hap