Calling "Dr. Love"

And, "Dr. Love" has a last name:















Denton.

Yes, those that went to Northwest Classen High School in the mid-70s through the mid-80s know EXACTLY who I'm talking about. For those of you who don't, I'll introduce you, but not until I tell you why. As you know, I'm writing a book about the 1982 NWC 5A state basketball championship team. And, Assistant Coach Love Denton was a vital part of our success--albeit not a popular part for some. But Love Denton will probably get his own chapter--but I want to find him and talk to the man. And, it'd be the first time in 25-years.

But for now, let's introduce you Dr. Love. Yes, his real name is Love Denton. I don't know the middle name, nor do I care to. The first name of Love says enough. And, he loved Love. Loved saying Love. Called himself "Dr. Love", although many students called him many other things--many of those started with the word "mother". Love Denton was a big man--like "Big Bad Leroy Brown (of the late Jim Croce song), he stood about 6-foot-4--and considered himself as much of a ladies man as Leroy Brown. Loved his big voice. Loved a big paddle he carried around--called it "Cool-Aid"--although any swat(s) from it were anything but cool. Love loved to round up people in the hall who were the slightest bit late to class and giving them the business in that big voice Love loved, and depending on his mood--a little "Cool-Aid" as a chaser. Love loved teaching his phys-ed classes--but that's all I can tell you about that because I never took his phys-ed class. But, I did play two seasons of JV basketball for him, and I credit Love Denton for helping make the me the man I am today.

And, it's there I'll really stick up for him. Love Denton was VERY hard on me. You want examples? First, in my junior year, I thought my name had been changed to "cabbage head". That's what he called me for a good four months. Cabbage head or "Ichabod Crane"--because he said I moved about as slow as Washington Irving's plodding fictional character in "Sleepy Hollow". He also would yank me from the practice floor if I made one mistake during a scrimmage. But the one thing I remember more than anything coming out of Love's mouth was this phrase: "It's hard, but it's fair!". I didn't think so at the time, but he was right. Love knew that I could take it. Love knew that's what I needed even though I didn't know it. Love taught me the love of discipline--of doing what I was afraid of, which at the time was executing the game plan the way it was designed. And, even though many of my teammates might not agree--I believe Love instilled that discipline into all of us. And, it was that discipline, along with head coach Don Piccolo's x's and o's of our offensive and defensive systems--that helped us win the 1982 5A state title, which was no small feat. After all, state of Oklahoma "class of 1982" included three future NBA standouts in Wayman Tisdale, Mark Price and Anthony Bowie, as well as Steve Hale, who started at point guard at North Carolina for 4-years--not to mention Bowie's Tulsa East Central teammates Shawn Baker and William Childs, who went to play division-I ball (Baker at East Central, Childs at West Texas State (which is now West Texas A&M), and Jay Davis, who played as a senior at Oklahoma State. But none of those guys tasted victory at state, but the NWC Knights of '82 did--and we owe a large portion of that title to "Dr. Love".

I know there are many other stories about Love--but there's only one I'm really interested in: WHERE IS HE? Last I heard, he was somewhere near Washington, DC. I want to find him, interview him for the book, and then just sit and shoot the shit for a couple of hours. I want to hear HIS stories--and not just the ones about Dr. Love. I want to show him that I embraced, "It's hard but it's fair!"

So, if anybody can help me--my question remains: Where is the Love?