March 04--From an early age, Marc Condotti knew his future lied in coaching high school basketball.
The seeds were planted in the late 1980s, during Saturday practice excursions with his father, Roy, who was then the head coach at Westinghouse.
"I can still think 25-30 years back and picture exactly what was going on," recalls Marc. "Those were always my favorite days."
The elder Condotti has similar memories of his son's burgeoning interest.
"I used to turn around and bump into him at practice," Roy Condotti said. "He would sneak into the locker room at halftime and hear whatever tirades were happening."
Fast forward to the present and Marc is in his second year as head coach at Homewood-Flossmoor. Someone very familiar sits next to him on the bench -- his father.
Roy is no stranger to the sideline at Homewood-Flossmoor, going 183-95 in 10 years there as head coach from 1995-2005.
"It's obviously a bit of a role reversal," said Roy Condotti, who won 385 games in 19 years as a head coach at Westinghouse and H-F, including a trip downstate with each school. "I'm there to provide ideas and suggestions, but the bulk of the responsibility lies with him -- he's the head coach."
The list of what Marc gleaned from his father in his formative years is extensive but doesn't include Xs and Os at the top.
"What stuck out to me was seeing the kinds of relationships my dad built and the impact that made," Marc Condotti said. "I saw how much influence a coach can have on his players and how hard work brings a team together. It helps build a family atmosphere. This season, a lot of those things clicked early."
Being in sync was instrumental this season for the Vikings (22-5), who won the Southwest Suburban Blue by three games. They'll look to claim their third straight Class 4A regional crown Friday against Crete-Monee (19-8) at Oak Lawn. H-F has won a regional in 12 of the past 14 seasons, a stretch that goes back to Roy Condotti's tenure.
After a decade of climbing the coaching ladder at H-F, Marc has certainly developed his own tendencies. But it's very easy to see where his coaching pedigree was formed.
"There are times when he says exactly what I'm thinking and I'll just sit back and smile," said Roy, who also served as an assistant to former coach Jim McLaughlin after retiring from H-F in 2005. "That's probably the most interesting part."
The arrangement has been beneficial to both parties.
Marc appreciates the opportunity to use his father as a sounding board, and Roy, with the benefit of being retired, has no time limitations on watching film or helping prepare for practice.
Healthy debate between the two is commonplace.
"He doesn't let me get away with anything," Marc said. "Sometimes I like what I hear, sometimes I don't. I don't have any choice but to listen. But to be able to coach with my dad all these years later is a dream come true."
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
