By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
While many things around the Trojan boys basketball program will change next season, the last name of its head coach will not.
On Monday, Southeast of Saline officially announced that Francis Flax, long-time head coach of Brown Mackie College, would be assuming the role of head boys basketball coach at SES.
“When you can bring somebody in with the experience and knowledge that Coach Flax has you do it,” SES AD Doug Minneman said. “He has experience at all levels and he’s had success everywhere he’s been, that’s somebody that you want leading your program and we think he’s a great fit.”
In addition to bringing that experience to the role, Francis has also followed the team closely as the father of previous head coach Bryson Flax, who stepped down after an exceptional six-year run.
After a nine-year coaching stint at Highland Community College, Francis spent 23 years as head coach at Brown Mackie and 25 years as its athletic director.
He retired from both roles at the end of the 2015 season having led the Lions to 446 wins, and six trips to the NJCAA Division II national tournament including two national titles in 1995 and 2005.
All six of those teams finished in the top five nationally.
In addition to two college national titles, Coach Flax also led the Kansas Cagers professional basketball team to a championship in 2007 as part of a 7-year stint as their head coach.
Even in retirement from coaching, Flax didn’t stop bringing national acclaim to his community, helping the Salina Liberty indoor football team to four Champions Bowl appearances including a national title in 2022 as GM of the organization.
The NJCAA Basketball Hall of Famer (2008) has 612 career victories at the college level alone and will inherit a program that is coming off three straight trips to the 3A state tournament, and three straight top-four finishes.
While an opportunity to coach at a place like Southeast was certainly attractive, it was the love of coaching, and the love of the game that brought Flax out of retirement.
“I’ve got a passion for coaching and that’s still what I want to do, that's my sole reason," he said. "I’m very familiar with several of the players and I’ve followed this program for years and years. A few of my kids went to school here and Southeast has a winning culture in athletics and an outstanding reputation in academics.”