Winning the Right Way

Charles Burkett thumps the lights on at Hoover gymnasium and walks across the court to his office. It’s his off day, so his shirttail is out and he’s wearing shorts and boat shoes.“This is my cubbyhole, man. And I love it,” he says, twisting the key.With all the orange grandeur and banner-proud décor of the gym, one would expect Burkett’s coaching nest to be posh. Not so. No bigger than a walk-in closet, the space is barely big enough to cuss a cat. There is a desk and computer, a chair, a few trophies stacked on top of a mini-fridge and draped with cut nets. Scribbled in blue on a whiteboard is a note from his eleven-year-old daughter:LUV YOU DADDYOne quick note: At Hoover, Burkett has never had a player sign with a Division-I school. Which goes to show that Burkett hasn’t been blessed with uber-talent; instead, he’s done it with good kids who work hard and commit to a philosophy rooted in defense. This morning, Burkett should be euphoric from Hoover High’s first-ever state basketball championship, but you wouldn’t know it by talking to him. He seems chill. Yet there is a fire that still rages in the deep recesses of his eyes, because he knows that expectations are an accompaniment to winning, and that no one is planning on cancelling next season.Burkett has literally chased basketball all over the globe, playing in Europe for several years before settling stateside to shepherd young men to the pinnacles of basketball, and, hopefully, life. Last month, Burkett’s Bucs swashbuckled into the BJCC and sent the two-time defending champs, Mountain Brook, to Davey Jones’ locker, snatching the 7A state championship from their Spartan grip.Burkett, a Montgomery native, played high school ball at Jeff Davis for Coach Wilburt Hamilton. After one season at Faulkner University, Burkett transferred to Jacksonville State under legendary Coach Bill Jones.“Coach Jones has always been there for me,” says Burkett. “He’s like a father, brother, best friend.”During his tenure with the Gamecocks, Burkett garnered the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year award and an All-American nod in 1992. After graduation, Burkett played in a USBL summer league and planned on attending a free agent camp with the Phoenix Suns. Those plans were thwarted when he suffered a navicular fracture (wrist), so he decided to return to Jax State to pursue his Master’s degree. He also served as a graduate assistant under Jones.In 1996, Burkett traveled overseas to play for Alvik Stockholm, a professional team in Sweden. His first year, he was fifth in the league in scoring, third in rebounds, and eighth in assists—from the small forward position. After two years, he signed with a team in Belgium and began Europe-hopping. France. Poland.While playing for a team in Sweupsk, Poland, Burkett and the boys brought home a championship, but after hoisting the trophy, the team reneged on his guaranteed contract. He had planned on signing with a team out of Budapest until he learned of that team’s financial troubles. So rather than take a risk, Burkett decided to come home for good.He was soon hired at Saks High School in Anniston by Principal Larry Skinner. “I was so driven to make a difference and win,” says Burkett of his first job. “I will forever be grateful to [Skinner] for bringing a guy in with no head coaching experience.”Despite his lack of sideline swagger, Burkett quickly found success, leading 4A Saks to back-to-back Final Fours.In 2006, the Hoover job opened. Skinner was retiring from Saks and Burkett felt that the time was right to make a move.“Hoover was intriguing,” Burkett says. “They had great facilities, great resources. At the time, it was the largest school in the state. You had to know they had to have some players within the large numbers. It was just the ultimate challenge of being part of a winning culture.”Burkett’s philosophy, however, did not change with geography. He focused on hard work, discipline, defense, and doing things the right way.Tacked to the whiteboard in his office is the Bucs’ 2014-15 season schedule. Wins (W) and losses (L) are notated beside each game in red, felt-tip marker. Running your eyes north to south, you will quickly see that the schedule is not chocked with patsies and also-rans. “We are trying to win a championship,” says Burkett. “I don’t want to shy away from playing the toughest talent around.” Juggernauts, as well as out-of-state tournaments (Arkansas, Alaska) have been mainstays on the Bucs calendar.Burkett also focuses highly on academics. For instance, he points out that, two years ago, he had four players with a 4.0 GPA and three players who scored 32 on the ACT (not to mention the team went 29-5). The year previous, the team was 31-5 and made the first Final Four appearance in school history.They have averaged 27 wins over the last five years.On the court, Burkett’s focus is not the magnitude of the game, but setting a standard of play each time his team walks onto the court. Which means his game plan for the championship was no different than any regular season contest. “If you put too much emphasis on each game or each opponent, that’s overbearing for the coach or the players,” he says. “We coach our players to do the same thing—game in, game out. There is no getting up for a game. We ought to already be up.”Burkett says he tries to do three things: “I try to take care of myself personally, make sure I’m doing all I can for my players and coaches, and continually strengthen my faith.”Faith meaning…?There is a serious ether in the cramped office as Burkett sits up now, wringing his hands, bearing down strongly on his answer.“I think sometimes as an ultimate competitor, you get so caught up in trying to win every battle. I’m trying to strengthen my faith spiritually. Not lose focus on what’s really important. Let me share this with you. In the game against Hazelgreen, we were 2 for 22 in the first half. How do you win that game? Sparkman, Regional Final. We score ten points in two-and-a-half quarters. How do you win that game? Final Four against Robert E. Lee. I had two players with 17 turnovers between them. How do you win that game? Against Mountain Brook, my two leading scorers are 4 for 22 from the field. How do you win that game?”Burkett looks off into the distance, reflectively. He pauses before he begins again: “With all that, I still say by the grace of God we won that championship. I’m serious when I say that.”Then, as the interview is concluding, he fishes for his key in his gym shorts, shuts the door, and locks it. A Gatorade sticker stuck to the front of the door says:NOEXCUSES“Sometimes, you’ve got to look at the bigger picture,” he says, walking away. “I’m not going to win by any means necessary. I’m going to do things the right way.”Then he flips the switch for the gym lights, gets in his car, and drives home. 78Photos of Burkett by Al BlantonTeam photo courtesy of Hoover High basketballFor more stories like these, please visit and LIKE www.facebook.com/78mag