CBOHIOVARSITY TOURNEY PREVIEW: The Battle of Tippecanoe Part II

Experience Proving the Difference for Tippecanoe’s Carus
--Part II of the in depth look at the head coach for Tippecanoe

Pat Carus took over the Tipp City Tippecanoe job five years ago. He had a vision—a big vision for the program. He wanted to turn this once good program into a state power. Now, one year removed from a state semifinal appearance, he and his team remain undefeated, ranked #1 in the polls, and are ready to make another run towards the state title. Carus recalls, “We got asked to take over the THS program 5 years ago. The mission was to rebuild a once strong program back to where it was. That journey is never over, each year you get a chance to try and see if you can add to the value of what we provide.” It appears he has his program on track and even stronger.
It’s no surprise to see the success Coach Carus has garnered in such a short time. His history is volleyball rich dating back over thirty-five years. Carus grew up in Wisconsin and had the opportunity to play men’s volleyball in high school in which the team went 76-1 and captured a state title. From there, Carus went on to play for the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Carus remembers, “One of the guys ahead of me went on to play at Ball State and then transferred to UCLA (Dave Mochalski). I went on and played at Ohio State. This was all in the late 70’s, early 80’s. Once out of college, I continued in the game as a member of the Kenneth Allen Volleyball Club out of Chicago (among others), winning a US Open title in 1989 as a starting middle.”
Adding to his experience as a player, Pat Carus also took on the role of officiating which also improved his knowledge of the game. He explained, “I was also an official for fifteen years working both the women’s and men’s game. Got to work 5 men’s Final Fours – two in Pauley Pavilion at UCLA, one in Hawaii, and one at IPFW where Penn State was the first non-west coast team to win a title (1994). Also had the privilege of doing some great women’s matches for the MAC, Big Ten, SEC and A-10 along with some post-season.”
After stepping away from the game for some time, he relocated with his family and wife to Tipp City. Soon, word traveled fast of his past success and impressive resume. He seemed like the perfect fit for the Lady Red Devils program. He was approached by Tippecanoe’s faithful to help redirect the ship and take the program to the next level. He had a clear vision. “We stressed the importance of a feeder program, respect for the game and those you come into contact with along the way and the players, parents and administration have walked through the door we opened by getting involved with JO, working hard and sharing our joy for the game,” answered Carus. “We are very lucky here because the community has bought into our vision. We have a great administration, great parents, and enthusiastic players whose mission is to get better every day and willingly work on a multitude of things both in season and out of season to get the most out of the game. They truly share our passion for the game.”
He admits that Tippecanoe’s success can also be attributed to the entire coaching staff at the Tippecanoe program. From the junior high to the varsity level, Coach Carus is very excited about his supporting staff. He offers, “I have an awesome staff. They are critical to our success, because I do have a great job and company that lets me give back to my community in this fashion. Richard Brenneman has been with us forever. He had two daughters play for us and the kids love and respect his energy and enthusiasm. Alexis Dedrick handles our Reserve team and she has as much to do with how ready they are for varsity as any one. She has a great rapport with the players and is a student of the game, learning more every year.” Fortunately, the Lady Red Devils were able to recapture their freshman program after it dissipated for two seasons due to fiscal issues. Now, Tippecanoe has added a former Chaminade-Julienne representative in Paula Boch. “This year we added Paula Boch to our staff as our Freshman coach. Our feeder stumbled a bit for two years but we were able to get our freshman program back. They made huge strides under her guidance,” replied Carus. He also went on to add how important of a role the junior high coaches have played in their instant success. “I also have to give congratulations to our new staff at our middle school. We made some changes this year and the 8th graders won their conference championship and the 7th graders finished 2nd. More importantly from where we sit, the staff there (Vicki Varvel, Tracy Mader and Mark Mays) instilled the love and respect for the game.”
Beyond all the coaching success Pat Carus has achieved, the most enjoyable part of his job is the teaching. He excitingly admits, “The ability to positively influence young people in our society and to watch them grow and learn and see their eyes light up when they achieve something great. To watch them turn into not just great volleyball players, but also to go beyond that and teach life lessons and watch what they become.”
It’s quite clear why Tippecanoe has exploded onto the map of upper echelon volleyball programs. Coach Pat Carus brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge, experience, passion, and has surrounded himself with a great coaching staff, administration, and very talented high school girls. He truly is one of Ohio’s brightest volleyball minds, and he and his team are making yet another statement with their bid to return to the Final Four.