Category: Calvert Hall Basketball

Cardinals hoop coach leaving at end of school year for Georgia; won 209 games and two BCL crowns in 11 seasons

by Derek Toney

After 11 seasons at his alma-mater, John Bauersfeld has stepped down as Calvert Hall College basketball coach. Bauersfeld has accepted the same position at Pinecrest Academy in Georgia.

“My wife and I have been talking about trying a new adventure and if we were going to do it, do it when the kids are young,” said Bauersfeld, who has three sons - ages 7, 5 and 2 - with wife Jillian, who’s Calvert Hall’s theatre director. “I was kind of poking around and Pinecrest was there and I inquired.”

Bauersfeld, who will also teach at Pinecrest, said he accepted the position Tuesday after interviewing a couple of weeks ago. A 1994 graduate of The Hall, Bauersfeld has been a teacher at the Towson private school since 2007 and currently serves as Social Studies department chair.

Bauersfeld won 209 games in 11 seasons, including two Baltimore Catholic League regular season and tournament (2010 and 2015) titles and the 2015 MIAA A Conference title. The Hall finished No. 1 in VSN’s Top 20 in 2015.

Bauersfeld, who was selected BCL Coach of the Year four times, said he met with the returning players from last season’s squad Wednesday morning. Calvert Hall went 12-17 and reached the MIAA A playoffs last season.

Bauersfeld, who played for Gettysburg College, served two seasons as junior varsity coach and varsity assistant under legendary Hall coach Mark Amatucci.

Amatucci, a member of the BCL Hall of Fame, retired after the 2006-07 season.

“He [AmatuccI} was emotional, but he was proud of me for making a decision that was best for my family,” said Bauersfeld. “I feel like I can put my family in a better position.”

“Calvert Hall gave me a shot to coach in a prestigious league at a young age,” added Bauersfeld. “The 11 years were great. It’s a great place to teach and work. I made great relationships with the coaches and the players on and off the court.”

Calvert Hall athletic director Lou Eckerl said Bauersfeld made a lasting impression.

“In addition to his success on the court, JB was an exemplary role model for our students,” said Eckerl. “His passion, discipline and direction made him an ideal coach for us. His care and concern for his players on and off the court will definitely be missed.”

Bauersfeld is excited about taking on a new challenge at Pinecrest Academy, a K through 12 Catholic school located 40 miles north of Atlanta. Pinecrest has nine victories over the last two seasons and last winning campaign was in 2009-10.

“Calvert Hall was already an established program. Going to Pinecrest in an opportunity to build from the ground up,” said Bauersfeld. “My kids can go to the same school and that’s an awesome opportunity.”

Bauersfeld said beating rival Loyola Blakefield at the buzzer in his first season and a triple overtime home loss to St. Frances Academy in 2009 was among his most memorable moments. In 2014, Calvert Hall lost to Mount St. Joseph, led by eventual two-time NCAA Division I national champion Phil Booth (Villanova University), in the only BCL Tournament final to be decided in overtime.

“What you really remember is the practices and the times you had traveling with guys, those stories are the ones you really remember. The interactions with the players and the goofy stuff that happened,” said Bauersfeld. “That’s why you get into this profession, to work with the kids and not to win games.”