Gaspari excited about new challenge at Aurora University

It could have gone on forever, Mike Gaspari and his relationship with Batavia High School football.

Inevitably, though, Gaspari felt a little selfish.

The man took over the Bulldogs varsity in 1985 at 26 years old then spent part of the next four decades as head coach, athletic director and, after his 2011 retirement, Dennis Piron's innovative offensive coordinator. Gaspari looked around and saw other young men in the Batavia program he felt deserved a shot at his position.

For three years Gaspari, Piron and defensive coordinator Matt Holm met in a postseason meeting to discuss an "exit plan" for the 2011 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee.

It became more an exit "unplanned" when Aurora University head football coach Rick Ponx offered Gaspari the job of Spartans quarterbacks coach. That news broke Tuesday but had been decided around Christmas, Gaspari said Thursday. At Ponx's invitation the two coaches had a sit-down which concluded with Ponx offering the 59-year-old Batavia resident the position.

"It really caught me off guard, I didn't expect that," said Gaspari, who got the easy clearance from his wife, Marcia, who works in Aurora University's education office. (She didn't want him sitting around doing nothing, he said jokingly, while in reality much of his work as Batavia's offensive coordinator was done at home with a laptop.)

"It's a nice challenge, it really is," Mike Gaspari said. "it just seems to be appropriate timing all the way around. Dennis and I talked the last three seasons at the end of the year and I've offered to step down more than once to make room for the younger guys. I felt a little bit selfish."

"Selfish" should not enter the lexicon for a man Piron once said was "like a dad to me."

From on 0-9 start in 1985 Gaspari built a program that reached the playoffs 14 times in his tenure as head coach, including a 2006 Class 6A runner-up finish. (And he went 16-10 against Geneva.)

After compiling a 135-122 record as head coach, in his retirement Gaspari could focus full time on generating program record-setting offensive numbers, helping the Bulldogs to the 2013 Class 6A title.

Key to his work at Aurora University, which runs the same Multiple Pro-style offense as Batavia, Gaspari coached eight all-state quarterbacks. His first, in 1991, was John Bartkowski, a relative of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski; his last, in 2011, was Gaspari's own son Noel, now a junior studying sports management and marketing at Bowling Green.

Gaspari leaves the Batavia program much better off than he inherited it.

"There's some real good skill coming back with Kyle Niemiec at quarterback and Zach Garrett at running back and a real good group of receivers," Gaspari said.

"I could have gone on forever at Batavia with the great kids we have in the program, so this is a nice bridge. Rick Ponx was very kind to offer the opportunity and at my age I better take it."

Gaspari said to a certain extent he already misses being in the Batavia program. But quickly he'll hit the laptop and start picking up Aurora University's offense - though similar, "their terminology is completely different," he said.

He also won't veer from one extravagance, his weekly golf tee time.

"Oh yeah, absolutely, I'm not going to change that," the coach said.

Balance beaming

On Wednesday the Illinois High School Association released a list of coaches named as 2013-14 National Federation of State High School Associations state coaches of the year.

From these parts Geneva girls gymnastics coach Kim Hostman earned the nod. Under her direction the Vikings have placed fifth at the state meet the last two seasons, headed in 2013-14 by all-around champion Claire Rose Ginsberg.

Catching up with ... Natasha Brown

That the 5-foot-8 Aurora Christian forward grabbed her 1,000th career rebound in Monday's 48-32 victory over Marian Central was not a stretch. Brown owns every Eagles rebounding record; entering Friday the senior has 1,007 rebounds with 23 in a game and 373 in a season. Working last spring and summer to improve her shooting the two-time all-Suburban Christian Conference honoree has increased her free throw shooting 20 percent and averages 10.4 points and 14.8 rebounds. Bringing eight all-state track medals into her senior year, in 2013 the lifelong Aurora resident won the Class 1A 200-meter dash at 25.37 seconds and ran on second-place 400- and 800-meter relay teams to help Aurora Christian claim the title. A former Girl Scout who is in her second year as an Aurora Christian Dunham Scholar, helping coordinate school activities, Brown has one older sister, Natalie, and two younger ones, Nicole and Nadia. Her father, Huntley, is a renowned Christian concert pianist with 12 CDs to his credit and performances around the world. Natasha started playing piano seriously at 7. Her basketball coach, Burney Wilkie, says she is "one of the 'Godliest' young women I have ever had the pleasure to coach."

Q: Natasha, take us through that 1,000th rebound.

A: I needed, I think, 5 rebounds to hit the 1,000 mark. I was toward the free throw area and saw the ball in the air and with all my might I grabbed the ball and I heard the crowd cheer, so it was just a really exciting time ... We went on a trip (to Wisconsin) last week and I think I got frostbite on my fingers. During the game it felt like the ball kept slipping out of my hands so I couldn't get a grasp on it.

Q: Frostbite?

A: The doctors haven't confirmed it, but I think potentially I got frostbite. I was a little bit nervous for this game coming up because they were a little bit numb.

Q: Was 1,000 rebounds a goal of yours?

A: I try not too focus on one specific area, just whatever I can contribute to a game during the games has been my main focus. When I heard I was close of course I wanted to strive for that, but it wasn't my number-one priority.

Q: Did they give you the basketball afterward?

A: Yeah, they did. It was really nice.

Q: What's the worst part about basketball practice?

A: I would probably say the running. But I know it's necessary because in games it helps so much.

Q: How did it feel to win a state track title?

A: That was really exciting. It was a really hard season. I felt like the whole team worked really hard, we were really dedicated and I was really glad with the results at the end.

Q: You work more with sprints coach Tony Jenkins than with Eagles head coach Anna McQuade. What's been Mr. Jenkins' top bit of advice?

A: Just to continue to push, strive forward, never give up. Because a lot of workouts in practice or even in meets are very difficult. Sometimes during practice I feel like I just want to collapse or give up on these things but he's really taught me to continue to strive forward because it's really going to be worth it in the end.

Q: Anything else?

A: Cross that finish line first before you start slowing down.

Q: As a pianist, who are your favorite composers?

A: I really like Rachmaninoff, the songs that I've been doing from him. There's one in particular, Opus 23, No. 5. Then also I've done some songs from Debussy. Those have probably been the most fun for me.

Q: Do you like pop culture?

A: It depends on what it is. I feel I don't agree with a lot of it, but some of it is OK.

Q: What's OK?

A: I guess it really depends on the songs that are playing, their lyrics. I believe in a Christian background and that's how I've been raised. I just believe that certain songs could be OK or not OK depending on what the lyrics are saying.

Q: You're kind of the middle sister. Do you like that?

A: I love being right in the middle because I can learn so much from my older sister Natalie and I hope I've influenced my younger sisters in a great way. But I realize that I've also learned from my younger sisters as well - not really care what other people think about you, be proud of who you are, that's one of the main things I've really learned from them.

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

Follow Dave on Twitter @doberhelman1