Hood got up close and personal to the Big B in 1963 as a sophomore at Irene High School. He helped lead Irene to fifth place in the '63 State B.
Fifty years later, Hood finished his coaching career at the 2013 State B, directing Dupree to a 24-2 record and third place in the state.
In those 50 years, Hood was at each state tourney as a player, coach or fan. In 1998, Hood coached McIntosh to the State B title. In 1999, he coached McIntosh to the runner-up position.
Named as one of the nation's top 500 high school players in the 1960s at Irene, Hood could not get enough basketball. He started and was a standout in basketball and football at two different colleges, first at Yankton College before transferring to Southern State in Springfield, where he graduated.
"I still have that competitiveness in me," Hood said. "Every game, I still try to outcoach the other team. It has been a good ride, but it is time to hang it up."
Hood will be 66 on May 1 and will retire from a 27-year career in administration, teaching and coaching with stops in Irene, McLaughlin, McIntosh and Dupree the last 10 years as the boys' basketball coach and athletic director.
"I am going to stay right here after I retire," Hood said. "I don't want to make any sudden changes. I plan to enjoy retirement and spend time in Iowa (Des Moines area) with my sons and grandchildren. They want me to move down there, but I have some lung issues and I am afraid the humidity down there would be a little tough on me. But I will have plenty of time to spend there."
Hood was an outstanding teacher of the game, said Denver TenBroek, who led the McIntosh State B champion and runner-up teams. TenBroek, now 31 and living in the Twin Cities suburb of Chanhassen, went on to a standout career at North Dakota State.
"Jim was a very progressive coach compared to what I was used to," TenBroek said. "He loved playing up tempo and wanted to push the ball up the floor relentlessly. We would not have been as successful in high school without him bringing in his style of basketball."
TenBroek said Hood always made basketball fun and was always willing to open the gym or stay after practice for players who wanted to get in extra work.
"He was always very willing to teach the game," TenBroek said. "He had a very positive coaching style, but was not afraid to get on you if you needed the push."
Hood's career in education started in Irene in 1970, where he worked for the school district for three years. At Irene, he coached athletes like Rick Hansen of Aberdeen, whose three grown sons led Aberdeen Roncalli to successes in a variety of sports while they were growing up.
Then Hood's dad got sick, and he returned to help on the family farm for the next 17 years. In 1997, he was offered a job at McLaughlin. While he was teaching in McLaughlin, he was coaching basketball in McIntosh.
Eventually, McIntosh wanted to start an industrial arts program, and Hood went to McIntosh full-time to start that program and continue his coaching career. Then he moved to Dupree where he has been ever since. Last year, Dupree got seventh in the State B.
"I always had good kids at every school I was at," Hood said. "The last two years, I had ex-players from all of those schools email me, wish me well or even come to the tournament."
He added, "That is what I am going to miss the most when I retire, the people. All the kids and my colleagues in education. I have been blessed to be around great kids and fellow educators during my career."
In his last game, the honors came fast and furious for Hood:
- His players wore Coach Hood warm-ups.
- Dupree fans wore white, Coach Hood T-shirts with one of the coach's favorite sayings, Jack It Up, from one of his favorite TV shows, Duck Dynasty.
- State B fans showed their appreciation for Hood after the game with a standing ovation.
- Best of all, his players sent Hood out with a win.
"I've always said, when you surround yourself with good people, good things happen," Hood said.
Langford poet laureate
Langford Area has its own poet laureate.
Roy Pulfrey didn't set out to become the official poet of his community, but Pulfrey has proven himself to be a man of many talents:
- The 1972 Langford graduate from Claremont retired from a long career as an engineer for the federal government.
- He does some farming from his rural Claremont farm.
- Pulfrey has been the Lions' assistant boys' basketball coach for the last three years.
And when Langford Area goes to a state tournament, which its boys have done often in recent years, the poet side of Pulfrey emerges. He laughs at the thought of being called a poet, but community members look forward to his prose.
At the pep rally before the 2013 State B in Aberdeen, Pulfrey waxed eloquently about Langford's season. During Langford's celebration after the tourney, he added four stanzas for each of the Lions' three State B games to his original work and was back on stage to do a reading for his friends, neighbors and team at their after-tourney celebration.
How popular are his poems? Parents request copies for their children's scrapbooks.
"I am not sure how it all got started," Pulfrey said. "I guess when my kids were younger and in school activities, all the parents would have a party for the team at the end of the year. And I would write a poem for those things. It was fun for the kids, and I guess it just kind of evolved from there."
Pulfrey has some self-imposed rules for his poems. He always tries to keep them upbeat, adds a little humor whenever possible, and include as many people as he can in the poems. So players, coaches, cheerleaders and fans all get recognized.
When I interviewed Pulfrey, unfortunately, he was not in a place to get me a copy of one of his poems to share with all of you.
John Papendick is the managing news-sports editor for the American News: jpapendick@aberdeennews.com.
Twitter: @jpapendick