Former coaches staying close to the game

JASON GILMER, Staff Writer

Dick Cox and Barry Toney can now complain about an official without ever worrying about a technical foul being given to them.

When Cox left high school coaching last year, there was still a part of him that wanted to go to games.

And while there, why not bring the sounds of the game to others who couldn't make it.

Cox, the former boys basketball coach at Boiling Springs High School, has switched gears and started a career in broadcasting games.

And he has brought along another former coach, friend and fellow gym rat in Toney, who coached at Broome in the mid-90s.

"Now, I can still be a part of the game," Cox said. "If I'm going to be there watching, I might as well broadcast the game."

"It gives us an opportunity to stay in touch with high school basketball," Toney said. "We still sense the excitement wherever we're at."

The games, a schedule of 11 contests involving Spartanburg County teams, will be broadcast on www.redzonemedia.com. On that site, fans can also listen to past games, as broadcasts are archived for a few weeks.

This isn't new for Cox, who has been co-hosting the Open Mic Daily on ESPN1400 AM and also broadcasts the USC Upstate basketball games over the same Internet service.

For the Dorman-Spartanburg contests, Cox and Toney will call the boys and girls games, while the other nights are just the boys games. All of the games on the schedule now are 4A games, but Cox said he is trying to expand the schedule to include other games.

Cox said that a conversation with former Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Cremins was important in his switch from the sideline to the microphone.

"I can now enjoy the game and not worry about winning or losing," Cox said, repeating Cremins' advice.

The duo enjoys each aspect of their new broadcasting careers -- the college games and the high school games.

Their experience in the sport is coming in handy as Cox does the play-by-play and Toney is the color commentator.

"That hour-and-a-half flies by in a hurry," said Toney, who still coaches at Cowpens Middle School.

"I don't know if I'll ever go back into coaching since I'm doing this," Cox said. "I'm having a ball."

Jason Gilmer can be reached at 562-7247 or Jason.gilmer@shj.com.