SLIPPERY ROCK — John Tabisz was told he could not relate to the players of today.

He was told his coaching style, perhaps effective the last time he was on the bench for the Slippery Rock High girls basketball team 10 years ago, would not fly with Generation Y.

“The kids made it very enjoyable for me because I didn’t know what to expect,” Tabisz said. “I heard all the negative comments about how I can’t coach the players of today. But if you set parameters, the kids will rise to it.”

That’s what Tabisz did in his third go-around as the Rockets coach after a decade-long hiatus.

Slippery Rock went 16-4 in the regular season and won its first playoff game since the 2008-09 season and the first without a Rhoads (Jence, Karly or Kourtney) on the court since 1997-98.

For that, Tabisz was named the 2013-14 Butler Eagle Girls Coach of the Year in a close vote over Dave Kerschbaumer of Karns City.

“Whenever a coach gets an honor like this, and it is an honor, the kids have a lot to do with getting you there,” Tabisz said. “We played three freshmen quite a bit this season and one of them said to me one day, ‘You’re never satisfied, are you?’ I said no because if I am, that’s shortchanging them. I always want to dangle that carrot in front of them.”

For years, the carrot had been a playoff win for the Rockets and they finally got one with a convincing victory over Harbor Creek.

Losses to Villa Maria and Mercyhurst Prep ended Slippery Rock’s season at 17-6.

Senior forward Nicole Papley credited Tabisz for helping her class get that elusive postseason win. But she credited Tabisz, her third coach in her four-year playing career with the Rockets, for far more.

“My attitude wasn’t the best before,” Papley said. “Off the court, he made my attitude better and on the court he improved my post game.”

To Tabisz, hearing a comment like that means more than any victory he coached this season.

“Nicole is going to play in college,” Tabisz said. “I told her college coaches aren’t going to let you get away with anything because they can just replace you. I told her, listen, I won’t put up with it. People told me I would throw her off the team, but she was unbelievable this year. She adjusted very well and expanded her game.

“I sometimes had to yell at her just because I needed to show her I could,” Tabisz added, laughing.

Tabisz said it was just as important to earn the respect of his players as it was to put in a new offense and defense.

“You have to prove yourself to them,” Tabisz said.

Tabisz was also quick to point out the help he received from assistant coach Amber Osborn and his close friend and former Butler boys basketball coach George Abraham.

“Amber was really beneficial,” Tabisz said. “One day she spent eight hours on the computer watching film then came in the next day and put in a defense. I had the final say on everything, but I agreed with everything she was doing. That made it a whole lot easier. She’s going to be a great head coach one day.”

Abraham helped Tabisz break down game tape.

“It had been 10 years since I had to study film,” Tabisz said. “George and I watched a lot of film.”

Tabisz is looking forward to his second year on the bench. Most of this season was spent putting his stamp on the program.

Practices were longer as a result and Tabisz said he felt it wore down his team toward the end of the season.

“There was no getting around it,” he said.

The biggest thing learned by Tabisz, who is retired as a teacher, is he still has the zest for coaching.

“The big question I had was, ‘Do I still have the juice?’” he said. “I found out I do.”