If all you know about Paul Vachon is what you see during Cony High School girls basketball games, you don't know anything. You see the human firecracker prowling near the end of the Rams bench, always on the verge of going off.

You don't see the man Dave Hopkins sees.

"His approach with kids is very simple," said Hopkins, who served as an assistant coach to Vachon for 20 years. "You are not giving up. He really coaches from the heart. What you see is what you get with Paul.

"On and off the court, he's always telling the kids and (assistant) coaches, 'We can't give up. You can't find that comfort zone.' "

Vachon recently was named athletic director at Cony, and he stepped down as the girls basketball coach after 23 seasons, 433 wins and just 37 losses. Eleven Eastern Maine Class A crowns. Seven state championships, the most recent coming in 2007.

If those numbers are all you have to formulate an opinion of Paul Vachon, you are missing the big picture. You're reading the Vachon Cliffs Notes, when you should be reading the entire novel.

Hopkins and Vachon go back decades. They both grew up on Augusta's Mt. Vernon Avenue. Hopkins, now 41, remembers Vachon, 13 years his senior, as a playground counselor.

Vachon is the Godfather of Hopkins' 9-year old daughter, Cari.

"That's the most special thing I can think of from the last 20 years," Hopkins said.

Paul Vachon the coach will go down as one of the most important figures in Maine high school basketball history. Paul Vachon the man is more important, in that he was able to use his contacts and influence to help people.

"It never stops. I can tell you that will continue," Hopkins said. "That's not the coach, that's the person."

A kid showed up to Vachon's basketball camp without sneakers, Paul got a pair of sneakers. A kid needed help finding some scholarship money, Vachon found some scholarship money. Gift certificates, free tuition to his camp.

Then there's Kelsie Bryer, Cony Class of 2000. A girl with a sweet 3-point shot but bitter home life, Vachon was instrumental in helping Bryer get through her difficult high school years. As a sophomore at Cony, Bryer was living on her own. Vachon helped her find a decent place.

When Bryer was in eighth grade, Vachon quietly held a bottle drive to raise money so she could go on a French class trip to Quebec. When Bryer was in sixth grade, Vachon let her come to his camp for free.

"Here was a kid that needed a little bit extra, and he did what he did best," Hopkins said. "He helped a kid."

Of all the things Hopkins has learned from Vachon over the last two decades on the Cony bench, one thing stands out.

"I've learned so many ways to approach different situations, but the biggest thing he's taught me is to be myself," Hopkins said.

Vachon will be missed on the Cony bench. If he continues to follow his own advice, to be himself, the Cony athletic department will be in good shape. As will everyone else within Vachon's reach.

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com