After 25 years, Austin's extraordinary coach Kris Fadness leaving tired of the grind

AUSTIN, MINN. — Kris Fadness made a deal with himself. If he ever reached a point when going to a basketball gym didn't excite him, he would retire from coaching.

He's keeping that pact.

The man known as "Fads" in Minnesota boys' basketball circles is stepping down after 29 years as a high school coach — and 37 years in coaching overall — with 501 wins and one state title.

He has guided Austin High to six state tournament appearances and three Class 3A runner-up finishes in the past decade and is hoping for one final long postseason run starting this week.

The city of Austin should thank him with a standing ovation for the imprint he has made on that community. Or a statue.

"No, no, no, no," said the 57-year-old Fadness, preferring to fade quietly into the background at season's end.

Fadness speaks with clarity about his decision. He's burned out. The grind of being accessible to basketball and his players seven days a week, 12 months a year has sapped him of energy.

"I'm doing the kids a disservice if that's the way that I feel," he said.

Fadness has never been anything but all-in with coaching basketball, especially when Austin's demographics changed and an influx of kids of Sudanese heritage showed interest in the sport.

His Sudanese players love to be in the gym. Fadness appreciates their enthusiasm and devotion, and he makes sure every player feels supported in dealing with challenges in their personal lives.

He keeps food in his office in case any player comes to school hungry. He gives rides when needed. He dips into his own wallet occasionally if a kid needs something to eat. The high school gym has become his second home because he wants players to have a space that is safe and constructive.

Coach is merely his title. The true meaning is found in the way Fadness cares for his players and in how they look to him for guidance in basketball and life. He is their rock.

"He's someone that really found a way to be an incredible advocate for kids," said Dave Thorson, the former DeLaSalle coach who is now a Gophers assistant coach and a longtime friend of Fadness.

Fadness' teams in the early years were predominantly all white, mirroring Austin's population. When he saw that his team and town were undergoing change, Fadness opened his arms wider, and people followed his lead in supporting a different look to Packers basketball.

When a new community center opened in Austin in 2020, officials named the basketball facility the "Kris Fadness Gym."

The coach squirms at being praised, calling support for his players "a community thing," but he set the tone in making his program inclusive and welcoming.

"You want to provide as much opportunity as you can," he said.

High school sports are no longer seasonal. Kids specialize year-round. Basketball has camps, open gyms, summer leagues, fall leagues. Coaching requires far more time commitment than ever before. Fads is tired from the grind.

"It's not that my passion for the game is any less," Fadness said. "I still love the game. It's just that I don't want to be in the gym all the time anymore."

As a basketball strategist, Thorson describes Fadness as "innovative." His hallmark is a trapping zone defense that makes opponents feel claustrophobic.

That defense originated from his time coaching his son in middle school. His players weren't very athletic. They were getting crushed in travel tournaments. Fadness put in a halfcourt trap, and the team became more competitive.

He decided to try zone with the varsity team. The defense has evolved through the years depending on personnel. The Packers create chaos by swarming ballhandlers with traps everywhere. They run it so effectively that it looks like they have seven players on the court.

"Why not make the game uncomfortable for players and teams?" Fadness said.

He will miss seeing his defense in action and his relationships with kids, but he won't miss the stress of March or the constant worry about his players and program. He's ready for the next chapter in life.

"I'll take what we've accomplished here over the last 25 years," he said.

Austin is better because of those 25 years with Kris Fadness. The basketball program and the community.