Home on the hardwood: Basketball is a family affair for Briarwood coaches, players

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Briarwood

There is no confusion when it comes to the family calendar, at least when it comes to basketball season.

The Mears family and the Kerley family are typically in the same place, at the same time, doing the same thing. The parallels are almost limitless.

Lorie Kerley is the head coach of the Briarwood Christian School girls basketball team. Jeremy Mears is the head man of the boys team. Both have the honor, privilege and pressure of coaching their own.

Emma Kerley is a matchup nightmare, using her nearly 6-foot frame to score on all three levels of the floor.

Drew Mears’ shooting range extends to the parking lot of most gymnasiums.

Both are moving down the stretch in their final high school seasons, attempting to make the most of their senior year. As juniors, both players became the leading scorers in Briarwood program history and are working on making their final numbers unattainable for anyone else.

Both have been part of a resurgence of sorts for Briarwood basketball, as the boys and girls teams advanced in the postseason to the regional tournament last season.

And both have been motivated by the bitter disappointment of last year’s playoff losses, as both teams had victory within reach before being struck with elimination.

Years in the making

For Jeremy and Drew, this journey began long before varsity basketball. Even though it wasn’t the original plan, Jeremy fell into a coaching role early on in Drew’s playing days.

“Drew was in K5 and the first-grade coach came to me and said, ‘Hey, would you be willing to let Drew play for us?” Jeremy recalled. “I thought it was just going to be kind of a hands off, just let Drew do his thing, and next thing I know, I’m providing gym time and coach time.”

Those early years were about exposure, learning and enjoyment.

“It really kind of worked out, it was really enjoyable, getting to coach Drew on that elementary level and kind of see him progress,” Jeremy said.

Jeremy has been at Briarwood more than 20 years now and was serving as a varsity assistant to Bobby Kerley during Drew’s earlier years. Once Drew progressed into middle school basketball, he had different coaches, and Jeremy called that a positive experience.

Drew’s older brother, Grant, played varsity ball at Briarwood as well, so when Jeremy took over as head coach three years ago, he had already had some experience coaching his sons.

“I hope he’s not tired of me, because we’ve spent quite a lot of time together over the years,” Jeremy said with a laugh.

Drew seems receptive to dad’s ideas on the floor, for the most part. There’s a solid working relationship between coach and player.

“I think it’s cool how we can bounce ideas off of each other,” he said. “Even in the game, I have the confidence I can go up to him and give him ideas, and know that he won’t think I’m trying to undermine him or anything.”

That comfort works both ways.

“He can be a little hard on me, but he’s never too hard,” Drew said. “And I’m fine with it, because I want to be pushed.”

Jeremy knows exactly how delicate the situation can be because he lived it himself.

“I played for my dad many years in high school,” he said. “I know the good side, the bad side, the good, bad and ugly, I guess you could say.”

That experience shaped how he’s handled coaching Drew.

“I am. I’m extremely intentional,” Jeremy said. “I remember those days vividly.”

That intentionality shows up in expectations, effort and trust.

“Drew has made it really easy because he’s a great teammate, he’s unselfish, he’s a high-character kid,” Jeremy said. “And he’s always the hardest-playing player on the team.”

Drew admits there was something to prove early on, and being the leading scorer on a team coached by dad isn’t always the easiest thing. But he’s much more comfortable now.

“In the last few years, everyone on the team’s accepted me,” Drew said. “Rarely has it been an issue where people are like, ‘Oh, he’s just playing because he’s the coach’s son.’”

Different family, same season

The same dynamic is playing out with the Kerleys. Lorie Kerley has coached Emma in some fashion dating back to third grade.

Emma moved up to the varsity team in eighth grade and has had her mom on the sidelines ever since. Lorie is in her eighth season as the head coach of the Lady Lions varsity team.

“I think it’s a lot of fun,” Emma said. “I think it’s definitely brought us closer together.”

There was some trepidation early on in Emma’s varsity career, as Lorie navigated the best way to coach a player who is her own biggest critic.

“She was so young, I really tried to not be too hard on her,” Lorie said. “She’s already really hard on herself.”

Emma knows that to be true and agrees.

“I’m normally just really hard on myself,” she said. “Normally, whenever she says something, I’m already thinking it.”

One of the most important boundaries Lorie set was from the court entirely. It was advice she borrowed from legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.

“When she was in eighth grade, I told Emma that it was not her responsibility to come to me with things that go on in the locker room,” Lorie said. “The locker room should be a place of trust.”

More than basketball

Emma and Drew have a shared goal of making this season end in less heartbreaking fashion than their junior years.

The boys team blew a 20-point lead in the regional semifinals. Emma was ejected from the regional final after a second technical foul, and the Lady Lions suffered a loss in the regional final.

Both have the chance to do something special this year. Drew, along with Tory Smith, Charlie Caldwell and Sam Canale leading the way, have a potent lineup. The girls team, which features Emma, Ann Tatum Baker and Clara Crawford as part of a senior-heavy lineup, has a chance to have a special season as well.

But it’s about more than the scoreboard for both families.

They agree that the memories extend far beyond the gym.

“Because of basketball, we’ve traveled so much together with AAU and spending time together in hotels in Chicago, Virginia, Louisville, we’ve had so many memories together through basketball. We’ve seen so many places we would’ve never traveled to. That part has been so fun and rewarding and brought us together,” Lorie said.

Jeremy hopes Drew will one day see it the same way.

“I certainly hope that he can look back on it five, 10, years from now, and say, ‘Wow, this was a great experience,’” he said.

“Oh, man, it hasn’t really hit me yet,” Drew said. “But I’m making the most of everything.

“I wouldn’t rather have it any other way.”