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Dennis balances family and basketball

Posted at 11:11 PM, Feb 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-13 23:11:36-05

OTSEGO, Mich. -- Matt Dennis was the head men's basketball coach at Kalamazoo Valley Community College from 2011 to 2015. Despite leading the team to a Top 10 national ranking and a conference championship, he stepped down to spend more time with his family.

"It got to the point where I didn't feel like I was doing either justice," Dennis said.  "I couldn't put the time into the team I needed to, and I was leaving in the morning when my kids were in bed, then I got home and my kids were in bed. It took a lot of soul-searching."

After a year away from coaching, Dennis was hired in as the Otsego High School boys basketball coach in 2016 and has quickly turned the program around from a 3-18 team to 19-2 in just two years.

"Sometimes I think when we step back and we just let God work His plan. we get to do things that we truly want to do and love to do," Dennis added.  "That's what Otsego offered me. I've been blessed to do that."

As both a basketball coach and a father to three young kids, Dennis has now found the perfect balance between family and basketball.

Dennis is now using his own experience to teach his players important life lessons off of the court.

"Coach Dennis is a good coach about teaching you things outside of basketball," senior point guard Addison Atwater said.  "Interacting with the community and kids at the games, knowing basketball isn't all that we are as athletes at our school."

The Bulldogs are 17-0 this season and already wrapped up the Wolverine North Division championship.