Ocoee's John "Sarge" Siers wins 300th game | Observer Preps

There were murmurs on the bench among his players, as the clock slowly ticked away.

After going on a 44-6 run in the second half against Cape Coral Mariner, the Ocoee boys basketball team was about to seal a victory the players knew was bigger than your ordinary regular-season win.

They knew that when the clock hit 0.0, it would notch head coach John “Sarge” Siers’ 300th win.

“We were at Apopka, so they were going over to the water cooler, and I looked over my shoulder and I was like, ‘Don’t do anything dumb — there’s a tournament going on, there are other games, and we’re not at our gym,’” Siers said. “So they were like, ‘Oh yeah,’ and started laughing. I thought it was squashed.”

The clock expired, and the Knights finished the night with a dominant 74-35 win, and with it his players abided by his rule — at least for the time being.

Players quickly made their way into the locker room, where they grabbed small cups of water. Then, they waited.

The well-muffled sound of laughing was the only noise made, as Siers made his way to the locker room, where he stopped for a split second before the celebration kicked in.

He was met with a pelting of water from all sides — like that of a Florida summer storm — as the celebratory yells echoed through the room.

“When I walked in, it was pretty cool,” Siers said. “One of the first kids to run over and start throwing water at me was my son, so that was pretty awesome.”

The 300th win for Siers is just the latest of accomplishments for the longtime head coach, who has been at the helm of the Ocoee boys basketball program since 2015.

The man many call “Sarge” — a longtime nickname that came from the time when he sported a mustache and flattop, leading to another coach telling kids that he was former pro wrestler Sergeant Slaughter — has had long-reaching effects on a program that needed a boost.

After years coaching on all levels of basketball — from high school to winning a national title at Norfolk State — Siers landed with an Ocoee basketball program that hadn’t found much success, nor consistency, in its short history.

Before Siers, Ocoee had never won a title of any kind. It had never been as competitive as it should have been. Then, that all changed.

“The school is 12 years old,” he said. “I’m the only coach to take the school to a regional tournament, I’m the only coach that’s won a district championship, and I’m the only coach to be named regional coach of the year in basketball. We’ve built a culture. As good as some of the other teams at Ocoee were, they’ve never made it to a district championship game. Being able to do that and build a culture that has a chance to win championships —that’s pretty cool.”

And the success Siers has pushed his players to goes beyond the hardwood. Of the 42 guys who would go on to play Division I basketball following their time with Siers, all graduated with their degrees. 

For Siers, getting kids ready for their lives beyond basketball is of more importance than anything. Basketball, as with all sports, is a good place to teach those life lessons and make lifelong friends.

“I’ve had a ton of great kids, and the best part about it, from my first team in 1995, I’m still in touch with those guys, because it’s always been about coaching kids for life,” Siers said. “That may sound cliché, but I can’t tell you the number of weddings and other stuff that I’ve been to.”

At their game earlier this month against St. Francis Catholic, one of Siers’ players from his time at Norfolk State visited for the first time.

“I hadn’t seen him since 1996,” Siers said. “It was amazing. (He) went to the military and did this, this and this. Through Facebook he connected back up, and he came to our game and talked to our guys. It was pretty cool.”

“I’ve had a ton of great kids, and the best part about it, from my first team in 1995, I’m still in touch with those guys, because it’s always been about coaching kids for life. That may sound cliché, but I can’t tell you the number of weddings and other stuff that I’ve been to.”

— John Siers

With Siers being a part of the game for 35 years now, the family he has built and maintained over multiple decades is one of great breadth and strength. It’s also one that includes the support of those folks around him — in this case the Ocoee High administration and the families of his players and coaches.

With so much support and passion for his sport, it’s no surprise to find out that Siers has no plans of ever leaving.

“I’m 53 years old; I’ve been a head college coach, and I hope to retire when I’m like, 73,” Siers said with a laugh. “My résumé is being sent nowhere — I love my job, I’m not going anywhere. I love the community, and this, I hope, is my last stop.”