
Dewey going D-1; resigns as Head Men's Basketball Coach at Garden City
By Mike Pilosof
Garden City, KS-Cole Dewey had every intention of resurrecting the Garden City's men program into a Jayhawk West power. And for a good portion of a wacky, condensed, absolutely chaotic 2021 spring season, he accomplished just that. But others noticed, and Dewey became a hot commodity. That's life in the world of Junior College athletics.
After just one season, Dewey resigned as men's basketball coach on Wednesday, accepting an assistant position at Division-I Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
"We wish Cole nothing but the best," Athletic Director, Jeff Tatum said. "Cole was already here when I first arrived, and everything that I was told about him was correct. He's a hard worker, and he got the job done."
And don't let the Broncbusters' final record fool you. Garden City finished 9-13 but following an 89-82 road victory over Seward County on Mar. 3, the brown and gold was sitting at 7-4, tied for second place in the west. And two weeks later, following Rodney "June" Lewis's improbable three-point play in the final seconds, the first-year coach accomplished a feat that hadn't been done in almost a decade-winning a game in Great Bend.
"Garden City will always be a special place to me and my family," Dewey said. "There were lifelong friendships made here that I will cherish forever. When taking this job last summer, it was not my intention to leave after one year, but opportunities can develop quickly in this business, and this is an opportunity I could not pass up."
Dewey infused life into a program that had suffered through back-to-back gut-wrenching seasons. And before star player Denver Jones missed five games because of a strained Achilles, Garden City was in the mix. When the freshman guard returned, the Broncbusters were in a tailspin, one that could have ended disastrously. But it didn't. Dewey held a leaking ship together, and in the opening round of the Region VI tournament, Garden City stunned heavily favored Butler with a 79-69 victory at the Power Plant. A couple of nights later, the Broncbusters were .5 seconds away from advancing to the semifinals before a questionable call on Mohamed Diarra resulted in a pair of Barton County free throws and a subsequent heartbreaking loss.
"I thank Cole for his leadership and development of the men's basketball program at Garden City Community College this past year," College President, Dr. Ryan Ruda said in a statement. "We wish him continued success in the future at the next level."
Still, the Broncbusters finished with a losing record for a third consecutive season and tallied just nine victories, tied for the fewest in the last 27 years.
"We want to be in contention every single year," Tatum added. "We also want these young men to leave here with the tools, both physically and academically, to move onto the next level."