By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

On the back of the Rootstown High School girls basketball team’s warmup shirts reads a very simple message.

It’s clear and to the point.

NO HEART.

NO CHANCE.

It requires no explanation.

And once the whistle sounds to begin games, the Rovers relentlessly race all over the court proving that the team’s motto is not just for show.

They believe it.

They live it.

They play for it.

Rootstown head coach Joe Leonard watches on during the Rovers’ Division VI state semifinal against Fort Frye.
Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

It is not unique to only the players, though.

Watching the sidelines, it is clear that the Rovers’ coaching staff is locked in, too.

They communicate their gameplan, they motivate and they are not afraid to embrace the emotions of the game.

The leader of it all is Joe Leonard.

The 6-foot-5 head coach is unmistakable on the sideline, but not simply because of his height.

He is engaged from the tip, calling out sets, changes, encouragement or defensive assignments after quick glances to the folded piece of paper he uses to reference scouting report notes.

According to assistant coach Brian Layton, when it comes to Leonard, there is never a stone that is not left unturned to make sure the Rovers are in the best position possible for success.

“Dedicated is the word that comes to mind when I think of coach,” said Layton, who joined Leonard’s staff in 2023. He sends me clips at 4 a.m., because he is already up scouting our opponents. He has the girls as prepared as they can be for every game.”

The results have followed.

Rootstown is a remarkable 27-1 on the season and its historic season has included a march into Saturday’s Division VI state championship game versus Columbus Grove. The game is at 2 p.m. at the University of Dayton.

“It’s been an unbelievable ride that will end up lasting 142 days from the first day of official practice to Saturday’s state championship game,” Rootstown athletic director Keith Waesch said. “It’s been amazing to watch these girls work day in and day out to get to this point. I’m not sure I’ve seen a program work this hard and put this many hours in during my tenure as athletic director.”

It has been a ride that Leonard has enjoyed as much as anyone else.

It’s like that when a team feels like a family, which is the culture Leonard worked tirelessly to create and maintain without exceptions.

“The girls have bought into this culture,” Layton said. “It is not uncommon for us to have a 5 p.m. practice and the girls show up at 3:30 just to hang out with each other in the team room. There are times when eight girls will be stuffed in the tiny coaches office, because they want to sit with us and talk about everything under the sun. Many times, the conversation has nothing to do with basketball and more about life. It’s a reflection of the positive and welcoming atmosphere Joe has created, making the game more about life lessons than basketball itself.”

Leonard is from Parma Heights and graduated from Holy Name and the University of Toledo.

He is one of four children to his parents Joe and Mary Leonard, with two older brothers and a younger sister.

Basketball has always been a constant in Leonard’s life, playing throughout his youth and high-school days, but coaching the sport did not come until later.

“I always had an interest in coaching after I graduated from college, but with my work schedule, I could never make it work,” said Leonard, who retired three years ago after a career as an Operations Manager at Sanson Produce in Cleveland. “So, I became a basketball official for 12 years before I got into coaching.”

When he did begin coaching, he spent his first nine years on the boys side. He was the JV coach at Padua Franciscan for five years, freshman coach at Holy Name for three years and was the JV coach at Strongsville for one season.

The Rootstown girls basketball coaching staff celebrates together after the team’s victory over Fort Frye last week in the Division VI state semifinal matchup hosted at Claymont High School.
Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

His first head-coaching opportunity came at Tallmadge for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons before joining Rootstown’s staff as an assistant under head coach John Zelenak.

Leonard then took over the Rovers’ program at the beginning of the 2022 season.

The pairing has been successful, to say the least.

The Rovers have posted a 66-10 overall record and unblemished 23-0 league record under Leonard, including three league championships as part of a four-peat of titles to establish the most successful period in program history.

“Coach Leonard and his staff have created a winning culture,” Waesch said. “They probably spend more time together off the court than they do on the court. This group is truly a family, as they have had countless team meals, traveled to a women’s college basketball game, played laser tag together and even were together during the OHSAA’s tournament draw meeting on a Sunday afternoon. That togetherness has made this group very unselfish and focused on winning over individual stats.”

Everyone is having fun along the way.

Players, coaches, families and the entire community.

“I enjoy the relationships that coaching gives me,” Leonard said. “My wife and I have no children, so I really enjoy the time spent getting to know the girls. I believe my calm nature and positive approach has definitely helped with this group. I believe this game should be fun and that we work hard, but I want these girls to look back and have a positive experience.” 

There have been plenty of those, that’s for sure.

The smiles are everywhere — and every one of them can tell you a different set of stories.

Heartfelt memories that will never be erased.

No chance.