Trying to keep his 'mouth shut'

ARMOUR — After nearly 40 years of coaching in Armour, Burnell Glanzer has a new life.

Instead of holding a whistle during the afternoons, he holds a pen and does paperwork.

The legendary coach who retired after last season works as the school’s superintendent and still attends basketball games.

“Retirement has been like I figured it would be,” Glanzer said. “I still go to the games and try to keep my mouth shut.”

Keeping quiet can be tough for a man who was known for his intensity on the sidelines and his winning ways. He won three state championships in each of three sports: boys’ basketball, boys’ track and girls’ track.

“It’s hard,” he said. “I mostly say things to myself just to let out some emotion.”

While Glanzer still does care greatly about the team’s performance, he admitted there is a big difference between being on the sideline and being in the stands.

“The biggest thing is, I don’t take it as personal when we lose, but on the other end, when we win, I don’t get the same adrenaline rush as I did when I was coaching,” said Glanzer, who won 617 games as the head coach of the Armour Packers and the cooperative Tripp-Delmont/Armour.

Since leaving the court, Glanzer does miss some aspects of coaching, while others he does not.

“I can’t say I miss the travel or the soul searching or the upset stomach I had for three days after a loss,” he said. “But I do miss the adrenaline rush, the strategy meetings and trying to teach kids something in practice.”

One of those kids Glanzer taught in practice was his successor Craig Holbeck, who is in his first year as head coach of the Tripp-Delmont/Armour Nighthawks.

Holbeck never hid his ambition to one day coach at his alma mater.

“He was handpicked,” Glanzer said. “We knew with his background and knowledge of the game that he would be a good fit.”

Glanzer helped out his former pupil in the beginning stages this season but has since backed away and left the team to Holbeck.

“I am trying not to intrude on an area that is not really mine to get into,” Glanzer said.

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