Mortimer, Hull Step Down as Comets’ Basketball Coaches

Hanover-Horton High School Coach Chad Mortimer talks about his team following the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state semifinal last month at the Breslin Student Events Center.  Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(May 5, 2021 11:33 AM) Hanover-Horton Community School Superintendent John Denney knew early in his tenure that boys’ basketball was a unifying force within the district.

He said the team has been a strong point of pride for Hanover-Horton.

Next year the Comets will have a new leader at the helm.

Head Coach Chad Mortimer and assistant varsity Coach Gary Hull are stepping down from the boys’ varsity program.

“It just felt like the right time and Gary was with me,” Mortimer said. “We know the program is in great shape.”

Mortimer has been at the helm for 23 years with a winning percentage of .882. The longtime coach has led the Comets to 18 district title, 14 Cascades Conference championships, nine regional titles, and three trips to the final four.

Mortimer had more than 450 wins in 23 years at Hanover-Horton. He may have tipped his hand of his future when the normally stoic coach got slightly emotional following his team’s 47-34 loss to Flint Beecher in the Division 3 state semifinal. 

Mortimer said he always went to the high school final four with his son Conner.

The dream was to play in the final four someday with Chad as the coach and Conner as the player.

That dream came true as Hanover-Horton faced Flint Beecher in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 semifinal at the Breslin Student Event Center on April 8.

But it did not end in Disney fashion as Beecher defeated the Comets 47-34. Hanover-Horton finished the season with a 20-2 record and a lot of memories of surviving COVID-19 and winning titles.

“I couldn’t be any prouder of this team … they did everything I asked for them to do,” Coach Mortimer said following the semifinal loss. “These guys sacrificed so much going into a bubble 10 days before the tournament started.

“They are an outstanding group of young men.”

Hanover-Horton lost eight seniors from last year’s team but managed to get into the state semifinals in 2021. Six of the players from the 2020 class went on to play college basketball.

His son was one of the leaders on this year’s squad. 

“We exceeded a lot of expectations from people,” Conner Mortimer said. “We knew what we were capable of doing.”

The 2021 season – which did not start until February because of COVID-19 restrictions – was stressful for everyone, according to Coach Mortimer.

“This has been a hard year for everyone because of COVID,” Mortimer said. “We didn’t even know if we would have a season.”

He did not want to see another season canceled due to COVID. Last year the Comets were primed in March to make a run at the state Division 3 state title. But the season was canceled in mid-March.

“Last year I felt so bad for those players,” Coach Mortimer said. “COVID has been a curveball for everyone.”

Hanover-Horton teams under Mortimer have been known as a lunch pail kind of program. The Comets have depended on defense and working together as a team for success on the court.

“His teams displayed a work ethic that led to so much respect throughout the area and I think that is a big part of why the team has enjoyed such a large and loyal following,” Denney said. “They were going to play disciplined, team-oriented basketball, and refused to be outworked.”

Coach Mortimer said the summer season starts in about a month. That may be when it hits him that the great run with Hull is over.

“Coaching is very time consuming,” Coach Mortimer said. “But we enjoyed coaching every group of kids and try to get the best out of them.”

Denney said the district will be putting together a job posting for the position.

“With summer basketball being such a key part of the team development process, we hope to find our new coach as soon as possible,” Denney said. “However, at the same time, we do not want to rush the process.”