By Ron Rop
LocalSports Journal.com

MONTAGUE–Growing up in Rothbury, Dave Osborne was separated from his basketball playing buddies from Montague.

Before the days where every kid on the block owned a cell phone, it took a little creativity to get the boys together for a game of basketball.

“This is going to sound like 100 years ago, but our Rothbury phone number was long distance so back at that time, a long distance phone call was a no-no, so we had little codes set up. Your phone is going to ring two times and that means we are playing basketball at this place at this time. It was simpler times, for sure.”

Osborne and his basketball buddies ventured in any direction as long as it meant some time on the basketball court. 

“We loved basketball and we played all year around,” said Osborne. “We played every chance we got. 

“I truly believe that’s where we learned to shoot free throws well because if you missed your first free throw you were probably sitting out a while,” he said. “You wanted to make sure you made your free throws because the guys were there to play. Make them or you’re out.”

Nowadays, Osborne is entering his 16th year as the Wildcats’ varsity coach. He spent four seasons as the Wildcats’ jayvee coach, moved over to Orchard View’s varsity for one season and then back to Montague where he’s been ever since.

“I’ve been fortunate to have been around some great players over the years and it’s really about the kids,” Osborne said. “I love being around the kids and seeing the life lessons they’ve learned. I’ve also been very fortunate to coach against, and become friends with a lot of area coaches. We’re pretty fortunate to have some great coaches in the area.”

Montague coach Dave Osborne and his Montague Wildcats (Photo/Leo Valdez)

Osborne, a sixth grade social studies teacher at Mona Shores, points to Jim Tate as one of his first, and most influential, mentors. Tate was Osborne’s coach during his senior year at Montague. They have stayed in touch over the years.

But, it all comes down to the kids he’s been able to coach.

“I think the most motivating factor for me is the relationships I’ve built with the kids over the years,” he said.

Osborne considers the biggest accomplishment at Montague was when the Wildcats went to the final four in basketball.

“The biggest high point was taking a football school to the semifinals at the Breslin,” said Osborne of his 2009 team. “I think more so than that were the conference and district championships are always great, but I still stay in touch with a lot of my former players and we talk. Seeing them get married and have children and thinking if I’ll be around long enough to coach some of their kids. It’s just been a really neat experience.”

Osborne started at Muskegon Community College with a group of local stars that carried the Jayhawks to the national championship and lost in the finals.

“We ended up knocking off the No. 1 team (Moraine Valley Community College) in the tournament and it just so happened that hit the game-winning shot in that game,” said Osborne, who said the play was set up for Duane Shears to take the final shot, but he was closely guarded. So that left Osborne to take the game-winning shot.

Osborne played basketball, baseball and football during his high school days. He earned postseason honors in all those sports, including a special mention all-state in basketball, his favorite sport.

After 2 years of college, Osborne worked 13 years for the United Postal Service but working 50 or more hours a week became too much with a wife and a young child. That’s when Osborne opted for more education, a teaching job and ultimately a coaching job.

That first coaching job was a junior high “B” team at Montague and worked his way up from there. 

“I tried it out and I really liked it,” Osborne said. “The parents were appreciative and I thought that was pretty cool.  That’s what snake bit me with coaching.”