June 27, 2007

SAULT STE. MARIE - Lake Superior State University was a brief, albeit fulfilling stopover for the husband-wife coaching tandem of Troy and Tethnie Forbes.

The Forbeses are returning to the Chicago area following Tethnie's appointment as head coach of the Elmhurst College women's basketball team. She recently resigned her position as an assistant women's basketball coach at LSSU, and was named Elmhurst's head coach this week. Troy Forbes, who spent one season as an assistant coach with the LSSU men's program, also resigned his position and is currently seeking a new coaching job.

Troy Forbes

Tethnie has moved three times for the sake of Troy's career advancement, and Troy is more than willing to return the favor. During their 10-year marriage, coaching has taken the Forbeses from their home state of Kansas to Missouri to Illinois to Michigan and back to Illinois.

"I always thought that if one of us could get a head job, it would be awesome," Troy said to Tethnie. "And you beat me to it."

"After I was offered the head job at Elmhurst, he just wasn't worried," Tethnie said of her husband's impending need to update his resume. "He is confident that something will come along."

Tethnie's success at finding jobs while following Troy's career track gives him plenty of reason to remain positive. When Troy took an assistant coach's position at Elmhurst College five years ago, Tethnie had already started a teaching job at Jefferson C-123 High School in Conception Junction, Mo., and was slated to become the school's head softball and track coach. She considered staying in Missouri for another year, but left for Chicago in late August and quickly landed a position at an elementary school within an hour's drive of Elmhurst. She became part of the Elmhurst coaching staff during the same year.

Troy, an avid fisherman, jumped at the chance to coach at Lake Superior State, and the Forbeses moved to Michigan's Upper Peninsula last summer. At that time, Jamie Pewinski had just been promoted from LSSU women's assistant coach to head coach, and the top candidate to fill her former position declined at the last minute. Pewinski met Tethnie when Troy came up for his interview and took a closer look at her resume. Tethnie proved to be a perfect fit for the Laker women's staff.

"Everyone here is so friendly - everywhere you go," Tethnie said of Sault Ste. Marie. "If you're ever in a bind, there are a handful of people there to help you in a second."

"People in the city are always doing their own thing," said Troy, contrasting life in the U.P. to Chicago. "You're mingling with strangers all of the time. I grew up in a town just like Sault Ste. Marie. I like the lakes, the fishing and the woods. I went up to Canada a lot. The winter was kind of tough, but it was a neat experience."

Troy and Tethnie have coached at schools that are as varied in winning and losing as they are in size and location. Tethnie is taking over an Elmhurst program that has three starters returning from last year's 6-19 squad. Elmhurst, which competes in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, is a private school with an enrollment of over 2,900 students. The college has enjoyed record enrollment during the past four to five years.

"Tethnie was a big part of our success last year, and I am very sad to see her go," Pewinski said. "She has definitely paid her dues and is more than ready to be a head coach. I have a great amount of respect for Tethnie and am confident she'll bring success to the women's basketball program at Elmhurst."

"We have tried to make the most of everywhere we've gone," Tethnie said. "And we can adapt."

"We've gone to different areas and worked with new coaches with new ideas," Troy said. "It has always felt good to be a part of different programs and see different cultures. Big towns, little towns, being exposed to more ideas - it all helps us understand how people think. And if you can make it in Chicago, you can make it anywhere - not just in coaching basketball - from finding parking spaces to changing lanes in traffic."

According to Troy, Tethnie was a tough, no-nonsense coach during her first stint at Elmhurst. He doesn't expect that to change now that she's heading the women's program.

"Everything will be my decision...or my fault," Tethnie said. "On the flipside, I'm so excited to be in charge. I don't think going back to Division III will be that much different. I like the intensity of Division II, but I think you can have that at DIII. We can have a good, solid program."