Dillard hires former player Mike Hardy to coach boys’ basketball program

National prep boys’ basketball powerhouse Dillard High School reached into its rich past to tap a successor to its coaching legend on Thursday.

Alen “Mike” Hardy, who played on the Panthers’ 2007-08 state championship team and led Davie Western to its best two-year run in school history as head coach, announced he will succeed his mentor, Dillard’s Hall of Fame coach Darryl Burrows.

“It is just an outstanding feeling being named Dillard’s new head coach,” Hardy said. “I am definitely happy and even more happier I can go back and reunite with my community, and go in behind Coach Burrows, who played a vital part not only in my playing and coaching career but also in my life as a mentor. It’s good knowing Coach Burrows has been in my corner every step of the way.”

Hardy, who earned plaudits for his defensive-minded and disciplined teams at Western, will undoubtedly use everything he has gleaned from Burrows to maintain the gold standard Burrows built at Dillard.

Burrows, who stepped down in May, led the Panthers to seven state titles and is still the only coach to lead a public school boys’ program in Florida to four consecutive state titles, a feat he accomplished from 2000-2003.

Hardy emerged from an impressive list of coaching candidates to land the coveted Dillard head coaching position after leading Western (14-8) to its first state semifinals appearance this past season and the Wildcats’ first district championship since 2014, two seasons ago.

“I’m going to try my hardest to get Dillard another state title,” Hardy said. “Coach Burrows did a great job of building a program and doing it the right way. I went to Western and used some of the same principles that he taught me, and it worked out for my program. The program doesn’t need a lot of change but I will put a little twist on it.”