Wall leads Bulldogs to state title game, named large school Coach of the Year

Mike Wall has been coaching high school varsity basketball for 27 years, the last 21 of those at Folsom High, and one of his most enjoyable seasons was his 27th. Wall, 57, coached Folsom High's team to a 29-7 record and a Sierra Foothill League championship, a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship and a CIF Northern California Division I regional championship before the team lost in the CIF Division I state championship game. The Bulldogs had a veteran team that knew how to play the game of basketball, under the guidance of a coach who was named Gold Mountain News Media's Large School Coach of the Year. "The key was the level of skill and the ability that all the guys had," Wall said. "That plus they all had the willingness to sacrifice stats and share the basketball for the betterment of the team. They could do pretty much everything and they had a very high basketball IQ. The synergy of all those things made us play pretty good basketball." With four senior starters, Wall knew he had an experienced team that had played with each other for a few years, but when the team went down to Los Angeles to play in a tournament after Christmas, the team showed they could play with the best of the best. "In the second half of our first game of the tournament against Rancho Christian, we played a great second half and came from behind to beat a really good team," Wall said. "They were big and fast and we outplayed them. Then we beat Liberty of Nevada, who was ranked No. 1 in the state and we beat them by 25. That's when I thought this team could do something and have a special season." The Bulldogs went on to sweep the competition in the Sierra Foothill League and finish 14-0 and claim Wall's 18th league championship and his 12th in the last 14 seasons. The team went on to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship, Wall's sixth, as well as win his second Nor-Cal championship. It was as much a collaboration between the coach and the team than ever before, as Wall shared the credit with the team. "This was the most collaborative effort between me and the team that I've had," Wall said. "It worked much more as a give and take. I had a lot of trust in their desire to win and in their ability to win and them being forthcoming to me in terms of how they're feeling. There was just a lot of trust there. There was a lot of back and forth. I would ask them what they thought of this or that as if they were one of the coaches. It made it more enjoyable. Their basketball IQ was so high, that was the difference. "They were very sharp, both on the court and from the bench in terms of seeing strategy. Their fundamentals and decision making was phenomenal. It's one of the smartest teams I've ever coached." From the talent of the team to their smarts, it made it an enjoyable season for Wall for the season checked a lot of the boxes for why he enjoys coaching. "I really love seeing the development, the progress, the improvement; I'm also in search of that perfect combination similar to what I saw this season," Wall said. "I love seeing the kids embracing that and the collective trust and synergy of that. "My goal is to always have a team whose sum is greater than the individual parts. I enjoy when the players make each other better. I love the bond with the kids as well as between the kids. It's great to see kids be kids and having fun off the court but then being something special when they're on the court. It's a unique thing and if I can make that happen, it gives me a lot of satisfaction."