ROANOKE, Va. – “I probably mentioned the words “Be Better” 100 times a day, the first year, everyday,” said Mike Hedrick.
“It stuck because it’s the only words I said.”
The “Be Better” movement became the Patriots blueprint for success as they set out to build a new, strong foundation.
“I knew it was going to be incredibly difficult and I honestly didn’t think we’d have as much success on the court as quick as we did,” Hedrick said.
He quickly found out the team was ahead of schedule on this build--winning 71 games during his 4 year stint. And even better, four state tournament runs-- including a State Final appearance this past season.
“We made history in four years. That’s a great credit to our players, assistant coaches that made that possible and that’s always going to bring us together,” said Hedrick.
“One of the reasons why our community backed us here is we tried to bring energy. And we tried to make it a Roanoke thing, not a PH thing.”
But now with the foundation and the walls being in place, Hedrick is now ready for his next challenge at the brand new East Forsyth High School in Georgia.
“This will be my 12th year doing this. I’ve done it at the college level, High School level and AAU level. You start to understand what you’re looking for and desire in a perfect ideal program. It just came down to great people at East Forsyth High who gave me an opportunity to build a brand new school from scratch,” Hedrick said.
While the “Be Better” movement is heading to the Peach State, Hedrick says the Star City will still be one of the sweetest stops of his career.
“I loved my time at PH, I loved my time on Grandin Road, I love these kids. My relationship with the kids at PH are still there. We’re still family.”