TIFTON — Mike Patrick has traveled over the years.

A coach since 1990, he’s been at Westbrook, Valwood and Tiftarea. In the middle was a job with the Atlanta Falcons.

Patrick left Valwood in 2009 and spent the next five years at Tiftarea. He went back to Valwood, but that wouldn’t be the last locals saw of him.

Patrick returned to Valwood in 2014, coaching softball, girls basketball and golf. “The second year I was back, the softball team went to the playoffs for the first time ever in fast-pitch softball,” he said. The Lady Valiants advanced to the elite eight in basketball, dropping their final game to Gatewood, which won the finals.

Led by low medalist Peyton Trancygier, golf fell to Frederica Academy by two strokes in the AAA championship.

Life changed again: “Sept. 19, of ’16,” said Patrick. There was another budget crunch at Valwood. School had already started, which meant moving to another campus was even more difficult. Patrick drove buses for Brooks County Schools until December.

Soon, he made his way back to Tiftarea.

This time around is slightly different. Patrick has middle school football and golf, but this stint has also seen him take over boys basketball.

In 2019, the Panthers finished second in the Region 3-AAA tournament to Brookwood and won their first state tournament game since 2010. Bulloch Academy defeated Tiftarea in the quarterfinals.

A year earlier, his Jr. Pro football team won its region with an undefeated record. In another year, the oldest of that roster will be playing for the varsity Panthers.

“This year will be my 27th year coaching,” said Patrick.

Over the years, he’s been through changes. Communication, he said, has been the biggest.

“Now you can contact your whole team by shooting a text out,” said Patrick. One specific area that’s changed involves travel. He remembers driving a rickety school bus back to Dixie and kids having to use a payphone at midnight to call parents to pick them up. “Now, you just send a text out we’ll be back at a certain time.”

Staff sizes are another change. Patrick remembers times at Westbrook where he was the whole coaching staff, along with perhaps one community coach. “Now, you’re fortunate to have some more help,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve been fortunate the last few years to have Rob (Flick) helping me.”

GISA teams themselves have changed. Since Patrick began coaching, regular opponents Pineland, Randolph Southern, Greenfield Academy and Riverview Academy have closed, as has his native Westbrook. Sherwood Christian, Calvary Christian and Deerfield-Windsor have changed leagues. 

“It was nine- and 10-team regions,” said Patrick. Region basketball tournaments lasted a week. “It was very exciting.”

Especially in 1994, when he took the Westbrook boys to the state tournament. Patrick said it was the squad’s first appearance in state in its history. Playing at Southwest Georgia Academy, the Cougars defeated Sherwood Christian to qualify for state, a “very exciting day.” 

Consecutive losses in the semifinals and consolation to SGA and Randolph Southern dropped them to fourth place.

It was in 1980 that Patrick said he realized he wanted coach. He was a high school graduate, now in college and for the first time, was not playing organized sports. Patrick thought about trying out for the baseball team, but they were coming off a national championship. He didn’t think he was good enough to play for them.

Football hadn’t started yet at Valdosta State and Patrick didn’t think he had a chance with basketball. A roommate pointed out a notice for basketball manager for the Blazers.

“I went and talked to Coach (James) Dominey,” he said. “I was lucky in the ‘70s, there were two Patrick brothers that played for Coach Dominey. Mark and Mike Patrick. When I walked in and said my name, I pretty much had the job.”

Basketball manager helped pay for his books and tuition, which he said was big. It also led to his first plane trip. One Christmas, the Blazers flew to play Southwest Missouri State. Then in January 1981, he flew with them to Alaska for two games against Alaska-Anchorage. Eddie Brown was part of those teams and Patrick considers him to be one of the best in Valdosta State history.

Patrick coached intramurals teams in various sports. “I figured if I could coach kids close to my own age, I could definitely coach high school kids.”

He’s cited his own coaches as influences. At Westbrook, there was Charlie Jennett, who coached despite having only one arm. Buddy Ethridge followed Jennett and led the football team to the finals in 1979.

Through intramurals and his own basketball work at Valdosta State, he interacted with coaching legends as Billy Grant, Dominey, Bobby Tucker and Tommy Thomas. He also connected with Valdosta State’s sports information director, Steve Roberts.

Patrick hasn’t set a timetable to retire. He likes the private school experience, being able to see the students grow from preschool to seniors. 

“I’ve been fortunate,” said Patrick. “I’ve been around a lot of good sports, learned from a lot of great people.”