Once again Bryan Graham turned to Franklin Central to find a new boys basketball coach. This one turns out to be a little more experienced than the last one.
In 2020, Graham, Triton Central’s athletic director and girls basketball coach, turned to Mark James, his former coach at Franklin Central who was now coaching at Perry Meridian, to ask if he could recommend anyone for the TC job. Kyle Ballard’s name came up.
Triton Central hired Ballard who went on to win 48 games and two sectional titles in four seasons in Fairland. Ballard recently announced his resignation to become the new boys basketball coach at Franklin Central.
So Graham called James, who resigned at Perry Meridian after five seasons, to gauge his interest in coming to Triton Central. James never hesitated, citing Triton Central as just the environment he was looking for after 41 years of coaching.
“It used to be the county schools were small enough where everything revolved around the school,” said James Monday after being introduced as Triton Central’s head coach. “Now everything is so diverse and big, it’s not quite the same.
“Whereas when you come to Waldron and Triton Central games, there are still a lot of people in the gym. Everything still revolves around that. I missed that so I am excited to be here.”
James arrives with Hall of Fame credentials – literally. He has 599 career wins, two Marion County championships, 12 sectional and two regional titles and he led Ben Davis to the 2017 state championship. Over his career, he has coached two NBA players, seven Indiana All-Stars and 20 Division I players.
James was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
The 1973 Martinsville graduate began his coaching career at Covington. After stops as an assistant coach at Carmel and head coaching gigs at Franklin Central, Ben Davis and Perry Meridian, James was ready to return to a smaller school environment similar to where he started.
“I am excited about this opportunity,” said James. “The people are excited but they are not nearly as excited as I am.”
Triton Central finished 17-7 last season and lost to Scecina in the championship game of the Eastern Hancock Sectional, which denied the Tigers a third-straight sectional title.
The program graduated its two leading scorers in Isaac Morgan (15.6 ppg) and Luke Faust (13.3 ppg) but saw freshmen Eli Sego (12.2 ppg) and Max Crouse (6 ppg) see significant playing time with the seniors and sophomore Silas Blair (9.9 ppg).
Ballard takes over a Franklin Central program that has not won 10 games in a season since 2020.
“Thank you to Triton Central for an incredible four years,” wrote Ballard on his Twitter account. “The players, families, staff, and administration made it a truly special time for us and we are forever grateful. I am so glad the program is in great hands moving forward. We will be your biggest fans.”
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