Standing in the stairwell connecting the gym to the locker room at Archbishop Williams, Ged Phelan was reflecting on his 27 years as a coach, and his stops at Curry College, North Quincy High (his alma mater), Hingham High, and Archbishop Williams. Hundreds of players have grown under his tutelage and he has cherished watching each one become a man before his eyes.

“That’s the best part,’’ Phelan said, choking back the tears slowly welling in his eyes.

“I love competition. I love the game, but over the years, when you’re invited to kids’ weddings and you see them have their own kids and they come back to games - I have a couple guys I coached at North Quincy in 1985 that I still play golf with. They come to my games every once in a while.

“It’s great to see these guys grow up and become solid citizens. That’s what it’s all about.’’

In the fall of 2008, after a successful nine-year run at Archies, Phelan resigned and began exploring other coaching opportunities. The North Quincy native did not land another coaching job, and in his absence, a young Bishops squad started 0-10 last season on the way to a 1-19 finish under Mike Goodless.

Phelan still caught a number of Archies’ games, even though he and his wife, Julie, had moved to Mashpee after his retirement - more than an hour’s commute from the school in Braintree.

“We saw him last year a lot,’’ said Vytus Butkus, a senior co-captain from Weymouth. “I could tell when I saw him he wanted to coach games.’’

When Goodless stepped down after one season, Phelan reapplied for his old job.

“When I heard that this position had opened up, something went off inside and I knew I wanted to come back here,’’ Phelan said. “It’s a pretty unique place - it’s just like a family here.’’

“I think he just missed it,’’ said Christian Papazian, a senior co-captain from Plymouth. “I think people missed him. There are familiar faces you see at Archies, and he’s one of those familiar faces. Everybody knows him at this school.’’

With Phelan back in charge, the Bishops have put together one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Eastern Massachusetts. Archies started 11-3, including a 74-52 win over Bishop Fenwick on Tuesday night.

Phelan tosses the credit for the turnaround to his players. “I think they’re hungrier this year,’’ he said. “They were all in it together last year because every kid here was in the program last year.’’

Papazian said that “most of the improvement is just from our experience and discipline. We weren’t ready last year because of the inexperience we had.’’

“Without last year, I don’t think this year would happen,’’ Butkus said. “If we had been decent last year, I don’t think we’d be this good this year.’’

Phelan, admittedly, is surprised with the drastic turn, but is not shocked at how his players matured during the one-win season.

“I’ve been coaching for 27 seasons and every season’s not a winning season, and you learn more from losing than winning,’’ Phelan said. “When you look at yourself after a losing season, you learn how to persevere and keep working hard to overcome.’’

Papazian and Butkus, a 6-foot-4 center who averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds in ABW’s two most recent wins, anchor a team that lives by the fast break. Athletic guards Elvin Soufrant (Randolph), Tim Andrea (Holbrook), and Joe Salvatore (Weymouth), as well as forward Tom Fitzpatrick (South Boston), specialize in pressuring opposing teams and thrive on turnovers.

The up-tempo game has been a recipe for success, along with a togetherness that Phelan has helped foster. When he talks about family, he can point to the Kimball brothers from Plymouth. Their father, Gary, serves as one of the Bishops’ athletic trainers and all three of his sons have come through the program.

All three boys, however, share a hereditary heart condition and only Brendan, a senior forward, has donned a uniform for the Bishops. Sean Kimball, now at Holy Cross, was a team manager for Archies. Brendan’s twin brother, Brian, is currently the team manager and sings the national anthem at the Bishops’ home games. He is also involved with the school’s drama department

It’s because of individuals like the Kimballs that Phelan returned without hesitation, and plans to be at Archies for a good while longer.

“It’s either here or nowhere,’’ Phelan said. “I don’t see why I would leave.

“It’s a big time commitment for little pay, but I know a lot of guys who wish they did coach and didn’t because they put an emphasis on money or they didn’t have the right situation, and they regret not doing.

“I’ll never regret it.’’

“She’s actually not a prolific scorer - she’s a prolific passer,’’ said John Atwater, her head coach and father.

Juju is second in her graduating class, and is weighing options. Her father said she is considering Ivy League schools, and playing basketball at Amherst, Williams, Eastern Nazarene, or Gordon colleges. He added she might have an “outside chance,’’ of joining Brown’s squad.

A tip of the cap to Scituate High girls’ basketball coach Brian Buckley, who earned his 300th victory with a 53-39 win at Quincy on Jan. 22. His total includes time as men’s coach at Quincy Junior College, Curry College (Ged Phelan was an assistant), BC High, and girls’ coach at Archbishop Williams. His 10-3 Sailors gavehim No. 301 Tuesday against Rockland.

Jake Seiner can be reached at jseiner@globe.com