After 19 years leading the Adams Central Flying Jets boys basketball program, Aaron McClure will leave that position with September 23’s announcement that he will be the new superintendent of Adams Central Community Schools.
McClure went 266-278 over 24 years leading the program, including last year’s 15-8 mark that was led by Trace Mallers, who is now at Spring Arbor in Michigan. Prior to last year, McClure led the Flying Jets to back-to-back 20 win seasons that included ACAC and ACAC Tournament crowns, led on the floor by Issac Schultz and McClure’s son Micah, both All-Area performers.
First becoming the Adams Central coach in the 1999-2000 season, McClure spent five seasons running the program, including a sectional title, before leaving the coaching position in 2004. He returned to the Adams Central sideline in 2007-2008, building the program back up from a winless campaign his first year to a team that has had winning seasons in each of its last four prior to him leaving the position.
Adams Central won a sectional crown in 2011-2012, going 19-11 overall. He posted 12 winning seasons with the Jets.
The school board will vote on McClure’s takeover of the position later in October after a required legal hearing. If the school board approves McClure for the position, he will begin his duties as superintendent on January 1, 2026.
McClure’s exit from the AC sidelines is especially notable as he was the second-longest tenured boys basketball coach in northeast Indiana. Only Homestead’s Chris Johnson has been at the same school coaching for as long as McClure was with the Flying Jets.
Q&A WITH AARON MCCLURE
Our interview with McClure included so many can’t miss thoughts from the longtime coach, that we at Outside the Huddle decided not to just pull specific ones out for this story and instead let Coach McClure’s words speak for themselves:
OTH: Try and sum up your time at Adams Central and what has leading the basketball program has meant to you?
MCCLURE: I have truly enjoyed my 24 years as the head coach at Adams Central. We have taken great pride in trying to represent our school and community well during that time. There have obviously been the same ups and downs in regard to the won-loss record that you encounter at any small school, but I feel even in years we have struggled that we have found ways to compete. My hope is that if you talk to other coaches (and also officials) in our area that they would tell you Adams Central always tried to be well prepared, do things the right way, and honor the game of basketball in the best state in the country for high school basketball.
I was blessed to have the opportunity to coach my son (Micah, class of 2024) from the time he was born. I don’t think anyone will hold it against me to name him as my all time favorite player I coached. A wise coach once told me when he was really little that you need your son to be one of two things. First, he could be the best player……then no one can complain when he is seeing a lot of playing time. Secondly, he could be the worst player……then your wife (his mom) cannot complain if he’s not playing. I won’t say Micah was the best player I ever coached purely from a basketball standpoint, but he did have the highest basketball IQ I ever coached and was one of the best passers I ever coached. With that in mind, he was one of the leaders in assists during his sophomore, junior and senior years…..not only in Northeast Indiana, but throughout the state.
No one ever seemed to mind watching him pass the ball and have others score, which helped us win more games in his tenure as point guard than any stretch of teams in the past 50 years at Adams Central. Any coach who has had the opportunity to coach their son will likely tell you what a unique opportunity that is and I am no different. Very blessed to have coached him (and also his entire) class for many years.
I’ve often been asked to name the best players I’ve coached in my tenure or the best teams. I never think that’s a fair question as every player and every team are different. However, I will say that I really enjoyed my first few years and just the thrill of being a head coach at a young age. We had some great individual players in that era and some good teams. I only wish I could have the opportunity to coach them after gaining a lot more wisdom and knowledge than I had early on.
My apologies to them that they had the early version and not what I hopefully became with the years of experience. I also will say that we just had some tremendous groups in the early 2010’s that were a blessing to coach. Many great players, but also those same players sacrificed individual acknowledgment for the betterment of the team.
We had struggled for a few years in winning many games and the dedication these years had to TEAM first (along with some amazing talent) helped us have a great run that I think was enjoyed by the entire community. I’d end that with saying (and I hope no one will hold it against me ) that coaching my son’s teams over the last few years and the guys he was surrounded with has probably been my favorite era just because of all the years I worked with them prior to them reaching high school.
OTH: Why did you decide to make this move/what appealed to you about leading the district?
MCCLURE: Many folks will know that I did have a long tenure here at Adams Central as a principal (while also coaching). The demands of administration and coaching, along with family responsibility and some other factors, led me to move back to teaching several years ago. My youngest daughter graduated this past spring which led me to begin contemplating what the future may look like. I’ve long envisioned an eventual return to the world of administration. My wife and I becoming empty nesters sort of coincided with our district looking for a new leader. I’ve been blessed to be a part of this corporation in a lot of ways for many years. I am grateful to our school board and community for putting their confidence in me and I hope I can truly give back to the place that has been such a big part of my life.
OTH: You were the second longest tenured boys basketball coach in Northeast Indiana, what does that longevity say about the program and the community?
MCCLURE: As you indicated, I am the second longest tenured coach at the same school in NE Indiana. I believe Coach [Chris] Johnson’s long time tenure at Homestead has me beat by just a year or two. I’ve never really had the goal to move on to other schools, although there may have been opportunities along the way to do that. I have counted it an honor and blessing that I’ve been able to do it in the same place for so long. In the recent years I’ve started seeing the children of guys I have coached start to come through our system and many former players have returned to help with coaching at various age levels. It has really been a lot of fun to see that and is one of the things I’ve enjoyed about the environment here at Adams Central.
OTH: Any other thoughts as you look back at the time leading AC boys basketball?
MCCLURE: I would like to offer a specific thank-you to the many great coaches in our area that I had a chance to do battle with. Many of them have been at it as long as I have and I truly enjoyed competing with all of them, while being friends outside the lines. NE Indiana is blessed with great coaches who really do care about kids and the overall goal of helping to develop young men in the game of basketball.
I would also like to offer a specific thanks to all the officials in our area. The vast majority of them love the kids, love the game, and work really really hard to make it a great experience for the players. It sort of took me awhile to realize that as a young coach. The older guys know what I mean! However, I have come to find that it’s much more about coaches and officials working together for the benefit of the kids and the game. Although there may still be “minor disagreements” on calls in tight games, I’ve come to think that’s part of the fun. I would like to tell all of them with true sincerity that I am very honored to call many NE Indiana officials my friends both on and off the court.
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