Kenny Pretlow’s basketball season ended so much better than it started.
The longtime Abraham Lincoln assistant coach was unceremoniously let go after one season as the Railsplitters’ head man once former coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton returned from Seton Hall. Seven months later, Pretlow — now an assistant at rival Jefferson — was standing on the Times Union Center court in Albany enjoying the Orange Wave winning the program’s first state Federation Class AA boy’s basketball crown.
Jefferson beat Lincoln to win its first Public School Athletic League title in 62 years, and Pretlow is proud of playing his part in a historic run.
“It’s just a testament that you shouldn’t think that assistant coaches can’t help out,” Pretlow said. “One of my mother’s friends told me, ‘Sometimes God closes one door and opens something that’s even better that you never thought about.’ ”
Bringing Pretlow onto his staff was an easy decision for Jefferson coach Lawrence “Bud” Pollard — less so for Pretlow, who was offered a spot coaching with Billy Turnage at Wings Academy in the Bronx. Knowing the kind of uproar it would bring after 13 years at Lincoln, Pretlow needed to do some soul searching first. He didn’t like that the school dismissed him after a 25–4 season and berth in the quarterfinals.
“I put in a lot of years there,” Pretlow said. “I totally felt disrespected — not that Tiny didn’t have the right to come back and get the job, but do it the right way. They sent me a letter last year telling me I got the job. I didn’t get nothing this year.”
When his internal discussion was over, he embarked on what he called “spring cleaning” time. All of his Lincoln stuff went into one big box, and he was on to the next chapter in his career. What he got — besides some new blue-and-orange gear — was a chance to impact a team hungry to get over the hump and bring home a championship.
“They accepted me,” Pretlow said.
“You couldn’t ask for a better situation. To see these guys get this city championship and now get the state, I’m just happy for these guys.”
Kenny Pretlow’s colleagues noticed his part in all of it. Pollard has called acquiring Pretlow one of the biggest offseason moves. Pretlow’s presence on the bench and at practice has allowed Pollard to become a better coach himself.
“He played a big role in this championship, added certain things to my coaching,” Pollard said. “He makes me, right now, the best coach in the city. With the staff I have and him added, I don’t think there is a coach better than me right now.”
Pretlow couldn’t have asked for a better ending to a journey that began so rocky. He left one family and found another. He was able to repay every bit of Jefferson’s hospitality, and the ride was worth it.
“I was focused all year with tying to help these guys with just a little experience of how hard it is to win a championship,” Pretlow said. “Maybe it helped. Maybe it didn’t, but I was happy I was part of it.”
