By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
After a storybook six-year run that concluded with three straight trips to the 3A state tournament, Bryson Flax has chosen to step down as head boy’s basketball coach at Southeast of Saline.
His final campaign may have been his magnum opus, as despite returning just one starter and a handful of varsity returners, the Trojans rattled off a Cinderella run, finishing fourth at state despite entering sub-state as a 4-seed.
While many know the story of that 2023-24 Trojan team, fewer know that Coach Flax’s youngest son was hospitalized multiple times throughout the season, battling complications related to epilepsy.
“This decision came with a lot of prayers and a lot of conversations with my wife,” Flax said. “But with my son’s health and how active my other kids are in their lives, it feels like this is the time for me to take a step back and focus on my family.”
Coach Flax leaves a lasting legacy at Southeast of Saline, finishing his six-year run with a 94-47 record, five winning seasons, and three top-four finishes at state.
“We were fortunate to have Bryson here as he built this program,” SES AD Doug Minneman said. “Whoever takes over will be in great shape because of his leadership. He was able to get the most out of all of his guys and generated a lot of excitement around this team. I can’t thank Bryson enough for all he did for the basketball program and the school here at Southeast of Saline.”
Over the last five years, Trojan basketball became a must-see event in the community, and by the end of this most recent chapter, there was rarely an empty seat in the house at the Purple Palace in Gypsum.
“The guys have been phenomenal, their families have been phenomenal and the community has been phenomenal,” Flax said. Our guys have gotten so much support and this community has gotten so excited about basketball, it was so great to see.”
While many will remember him for the success he had on the court, Flax, like any good coach, always understood that it was about so much more than numbers on a scoreboard.
“As a coach, you hope that it’s about more than wins and losses and you hope that you have some sort of a small hand in preparing these kids to be good fathers and husbands and outstanding people in their community,” he said. “We’ve been so blessed with good kids and I’m proud to have provided even just a tiny sliver of help in their development.”
The search for a replacement in Gypsum is already underway, and whoever inherits the role will have a great group to work with, returning several key pieces from last year’s state-bound squad.
“I’ll be the first to welcome whoever takes the position with open arms,” Flax said. “I think someone with a new energy can take this to new heights. I’ll be a lifetime supporter of this program but I know that success at Southeast doesn’t stop with me.”