Indiana State | Archive | June, 2006

By Mike
McGraw
Executive Director

It will
forever be known as â�?��?The Damon Bailey Rule.â�?� That, in and of itself, will be
enough for those who love to indict the IHSAA to howl about favoritism.

As usual,
they will be wrong.

At its
summer meeting earlier this month, the IHSAA altered its rule concerning people
who do not teach holding head football or basketball coaching positions. The
revisions make it easier for so-called â�?��?layâ�?� coaches to hold these positions
for an extended period of time.

There has
long been a provision that allowed for a one-year waiver of the must-be-a-teacher
rule in emergency cases. The revisions now allow for as much as a 10-year
extension if certain training or educational standards are met.

The issue
was brought to the forefront when Indiana
legend Damon Bailey agreed to a last-minute coaching appointment as Bedford North
Lawrence boys basketball coach this past season. There had been rampant
speculation whether he would be allowed to continue past the single-year waiver
period; the change in the rule will allow him to do so.

However,
to concentrate on that particular case is to miss the point of its overall
effect.

This
change will make it vastly easier for small schools with limited teaching
positions to hire quality coaches in their basketball and football programs. It
will also, justifiably, give quality individuals who did not discover their
passion for coaching until after their primary career path had already been
chosen an opportunity to apply their talents at the highest level.

It is a
great decision, and long overdue.

Nobody
argues that the best of all scenarios is to have a quality coach who is on
staff at a school full time and thereby in the building every day. It allows
for the activity of athletes off the floor to be more closely monitored, and it
also makes it easier to keep sports in perspective in relation to the overall
educational experience. Nor is anyone going to argue that it is more difficult
for schools to monitor the performance of non-teaching coaches.

The simple
fact, however, is that for too long, those factors have been given far too much
weight in relation to the many arguments in favor of qualified lay coaches.

Nobody
ever got rich coaching high school sports. Therefore, anyone willing to devote
the time to coach on a lay basis is bound to have a passion for the sport
involved. If we expect our athletes to have passion, there is something to be
said for supplying them with coaches who have that passion.

In many cases, as
with Bailey, the qualification and knowledge of non-teaching coaches can far
exceed anything that the school could supply to athletes from the teaching
rolls. Let���?�s not forget that the first job of a coach is to teach athletes
about playing the game.

Finally, the rule change eliminates the feeling of
second-class citizen status that has been endured by countless long-time,
dedicated lay coaches in these sports.

I know
this because I am one of them. I never intended to be a coach, but it may be
what I do best.

I applaud
the IHSAA for recognizing that the ability to positively influence young lives
through sports is not limited to those who decided at age 19 to major in
education. As usual, the state���?�s high school governing body members eventually
got it right, and as usual they are unlikely to get the credit they deserve for
doing so.

So
what do you think? Share your thoughts in our Boys Basketball forum.

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By Mike Hutton
Gary Post-Tribune

You���?�d **** to assume the worst of the Indiana High School Football Hall
of Fame and the coaches who are responsible for approving candidates. So, I���?�m
going to believe that the reason Griffith���?�s
Russ Radtke isn���?�t in the Hall of Fame is an oversight. A correctable mistake.

He has all the right stuff. At least from a coaching perspective.

There is no one around who is more accomplished.

He is the sixth-winningest active coach in Indiana with a record of 241-96 over 30
years. He won a state title with Griffith
in 1997, and took another team, North Judson, to the final game in 1980.

The Panthers are 93-40 over the last 10 years. His winning percentage of
.740 is the 23rd best in the state over that period of time. His teams are
consistently good.

Why isn���?�t he in when guys such as Mark Hoffman (a deserving member) and
Nick Voris (someone who spent nearly as much time coaching in other states as
he did in Indiana)
have plaques? Hoffman hasn���?�t won a state championship, and Voris was somewhere
else for much of his career.

The simple answer is that he hasn���?�t been nominated in an acceptable
form.

J.D. Morris, the president of the Hall of Fame, said that someone
actually did nominate Radtke this year, but that his nomination was rejected
because the information was incomplete. Morris didn���?�t know the person who sent
in the form.

The sinister answer is that not many people in the coaching fraternity like
Radtke. Once, a coach told me that Radtke doesn���?�t represent the profession
well.

His teams have run up the score in the past. His kids work insanely
hard. He works even harder. Periodically, he has exploded on the sidelines in
ways that are not healthy.

This presumably could work against Radtke. A group of his coaching peers
have to approve the nomination.

Morris, who only sends the nomination forms off to various committees
and has nothing to do with who gets in, says qualified coaches are sometimes
rejected for unknown reasons.

â�?��?It does happen,â�?� he said.

It would be a shame if it did happen to Radtke.

He has mellowed over the years. He is still intense, but not out of
control.

And, even if he���?�s not the most popular coach around, his kids are absolutely
devoted to him. Just talk to them.

Keeping coaches out of the Hall because they���?�re not liked devalues the
honor. The point of a Hall of Fame is to have the best coaches in there,
period.

The irony of this is that Radtke doesn���?�t care one way or another whether
he goes. (He didn���?�t return a phone call for this column). I know that about
him. He doesn���?�t coach for the accolades. He is as single-minded and obsessive
as they come.

But it should be a point of pride for Griffith and the community. And all
the players he has coached over the years.

That���?�s why it time for someone from Griffith to get the form from the Hall of
Fame and send it on Radtke���?�s behalf. He deserves the honor.

Contact
Mike Hutton at mhutton@post-trib.com.

So
what do you
think? Share your thoughts in our Football forum.

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By Mike Hutton
Gary Post-Tribune

You���?�d **** to assume the worst of the Indiana High School Football Hall
of Fame and the coaches who are responsible for approving candidates. So, I���?�m
going to believe that the reason Griffith���?�s
Russ Radtke isn���?�t in the Hall of Fame is an oversight. A correctable mistake.

He has all the right stuff. At least from a coaching perspective.

There is no one around who is more accomplished.

He is the sixth-winningest active coach in Indiana with a record of 241-96 over 30
years. He won a state title with Griffith
in 1997, and took another team, North Judson, to the final game in 1980.

The Panthers are 93-40 over the last 10 years. His winning percentage of
.740 is the 23rd best in the state over that period of time. His teams are
consistently good.

Why isn���?�t he in when guys such as Mark Hoffman (a deserving member) and
Nick Voris (someone who spent nearly as much time coaching in other states as
he did in Indiana)
have plaques? Hoffman hasn���?�t won a state championship, and Voris was somewhere
else for much of his career.

The simple answer is that he hasn���?�t been nominated in an acceptable
form.

J.D. Morris, the president of the Hall of Fame, said that someone
actually did nominate Radtke this year, but that his nomination was rejected
because the information was incomplete. Morris didn���?�t know the person who sent
in the form.

The sinister answer is that not many people in the coaching fraternity like
Radtke. Once, a coach told me that Radtke doesn���?�t represent the profession
well.

His teams have run up the score in the past. His kids work insanely
hard. He works even harder. Periodically, he has exploded on the sidelines in
ways that are not healthy.

This presumably could work against Radtke. A group of his coaching peers
have to approve the nomination.

Morris, who only sends the nomination forms off to various committees
and has nothing to do with who gets in, says qualified coaches are sometimes
rejected for unknown reasons.

â�?��?It does happen,â�?� he said.

It would be a shame if it did happen to Radtke.

He has mellowed over the years. He is still intense, but not out of
control.

And, even if he���?�s not the most popular coach around, his kids are absolutely
devoted to him. Just talk to them.

Keeping coaches out of the Hall because they���?�re not liked devalues the
honor. The point of a Hall of Fame is to have the best coaches in there,
period.

The irony of this is that Radtke doesn���?�t care one way or another whether
he goes. (He didn���?�t return a phone call for this column). I know that about
him. He doesn���?�t coach for the accolades. He is as single-minded and obsessive
as they come.

But it should be a point of pride for Griffith and the community. And all
the players he has coached over the years.

That���?�s why it time for someone from Griffith to get the form from the Hall of
Fame and send it on Radtke���?�s behalf. He deserves the honor.

Contact
Mike Hutton at mhutton@post-trib.com.

So
what do you
think? Share your thoughts in our Football forum.

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By Mike
McGraw
Executive Director

It will
forever be known as â�?��?The Damon Bailey Rule.â�?� That, in and of itself, will be
enough for those who love to indict the IHSAA to howl about favoritism.

As usual,
they will be wrong.

At its
summer meeting earlier this month, the IHSAA altered its rule concerning people
who do not teach holding head football or basketball coaching positions. The
revisions make it easier for so-called â�?��?layâ�?� coaches to hold these positions
for an extended period of time.

There has
long been a provision that allowed for a one-year waiver of the must-be-a-teacher
rule in emergency cases. The revisions now allow for as much as a 10-year
extension if certain training or educational standards are met.

The issue
was brought to the forefront when Indiana
legend Damon Bailey agreed to a last-minute coaching appointment as Bedford North
Lawrence boys basketball coach this past season. There had been rampant
speculation whether he would be allowed to continue past the single-year waiver
period; the change in the rule will allow him to do so.

However,
to concentrate on that particular case is to miss the point of its overall
effect.

This
change will make it vastly easier for small schools with limited teaching
positions to hire quality coaches in their basketball and football programs. It
will also, justifiably, give quality individuals who did not discover their
passion for coaching until after their primary career path had already been
chosen an opportunity to apply their talents at the highest level.

It is a
great decision, and long overdue.

Nobody
argues that the best of all scenarios is to have a quality coach who is on
staff at a school full time and thereby in the building every day. It allows
for the activity of athletes off the floor to be more closely monitored, and it
also makes it easier to keep sports in perspective in relation to the overall
educational experience. Nor is anyone going to argue that it is more difficult
for schools to monitor the performance of non-teaching coaches.

The simple
fact, however, is that for too long, those factors have been given far too much
weight in relation to the many arguments in favor of qualified lay coaches.

Nobody
ever got rich coaching high school sports. Therefore, anyone willing to devote
the time to coach on a lay basis is bound to have a passion for the sport
involved. If we expect our athletes to have passion, there is something to be
said for supplying them with coaches who have that passion. In many cases, as
with Bailey, the qualification and knowledge of non-teaching coaches can far
exceed anything that the school could supply to athletes from the teaching
rolls. Let���?�s not forget that the first job of a coach is to teach athletes
about playing the game. Finally, the rule change eliminates the feeling of
second-class citizen status that has been endured by countless long-time,
dedicated lay coaches in these sports.

I know
this because I am one of them. I never intended to be a coach, but it may be
what I do best.

I applaud
the IHSAA for recognizing that the ability to positively influence young lives
through sports is not limited to those who decided at age 19 to major in
education. As usual, the state���?�s high school governing body members eventually
got it right, and as usual they are unlikely to get the credit they deserve for
doing so.

So what do you
think? Share your thoughts in our Boys Basketball forum.

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By Andy Amey

Terre Haute Tribune-Star

By
the time you read this, Jenny and I ���?� no kids this time ���?� will be at or
on our way to Portland, Ore., to visit relatives, unwind, and explore
the beautiful Pacific Northwest. But I couldn���?�t have left for
vacation on a finer note than the Wabash Valley Football Coaches
Association All-Star Classic that I witnessed June 24.

From
Jamie Bays of Northview, whose 259 yards rushing will be a WVFCA record
that might stand a few years, to Union’s (Dugger) Daniel Page, who was on the
sidelines in street clothes after wrecking his truck the night before ���?�
he came out of it a lot better than the truck, he indicated ���?� it was a
memorable week for just about everyone concerned.

It was also a
night that reaffirmed my belief that high school football has to be
covered from the sidelines, just to watch the interactions of the
players and coaches involved ���?� and, in a relaxed atmosphere like
Saturday night���?�s, to offer a few of my own words of wisdom at times.

Pretty
much every player had some plays to be proud of, and there were a bunch
whose names didn���?�t work their way into the game story who impressed me.

Among
them were defensive linemen Neil Vanatti of Northview, Derek
Guggenberger of Terre Haute North, and Chase Dunigan of Greencastle;
defensive backs Matt Lance of Terre Haute South, Drew Christy of South
Putnam, and Keith Montecillo of South Vermillion; and linebackers Ben
Wassel of Robinson (Ill.) and Brett Ramsey of Marshall (Ill.).

Co-captains
were Kyle Toney of Terre Haute South, Anthony Tomasino of South Putnam,
Travis Metheny of North Central (Farmersburg), and Wassel for the South team, with
Robbie Hoole of West Vigo, Dan Millington of Terre Haute North, Evan
Lunsford of Riverton Parke, and Dan Watson of Terre Haute North leading the
North.

I also had to laugh at the end zone signing of the
football by Carlos Johnson after the game���?�s last touchdown, even while
shaking my head.

Each and every one of you guys in that game
should feel proud to have been a part of it. I know it was a privilege
for me to share the sideline with you.

Pleasant
reading
I noticed a large number of my favorite former high school
athletes in School Zone last week for their college academic
achievements:

The business department at Indiana State was
recognizing former basketball players Danielle Thompson of Terre Haute
South, Amber Williams of White River Valley, and Alana Bradford of
Sullivan.

Adrie Koehler, former Clay City hurdler, has a 4.0
grade point average at Indiana State with three different majors.

Former West
Vigo volleyball, basketball, and softball player (if I remember
correctly) Cherish (Long) Easton is getting a graduate fellowship
because of her expertise in disciplinary problems (I���?�m thinking of
sending our kids to her and baby-sitting her twins for awhile).

And
former Terre Haute South tennis star Jennifer Kirk was on the dean���?�s
list at Southern Illinois.

Also mentioned were scholarships for 2006 Terre Haute South graduates Rachel McCleary and Kate Goeller.

Cradle
of champions
I have to blow the horn for my high school alma mater,
which wrapped up an amazingly good athletic year recently.

The
most shocking news, for a former third-string center on an 0-10 team,
was Lowell winning the Class 4A football championship in November. The
Red Devils also had the girls state shot put champion in Rachel Thiel,
and their softball team was the only one to beat Chesterton until
Chesterton lost to Martinsville in the Class 4A state finals.

As
the previous paragraph portends, the Red Devils weren���?�t especially good
in sports when I was there, although Larry McMillen was the 138-pound
wrestling champion that year.

Maybe we just had the wrong people
playing, however. Jerry Basham and Janice Sanders were in my class and
neither of them played any sports ���?� Jan had an excuse, because there
were no girls sports back then ���?� but their son Ryan recently signed
with the Toronto Blue Jays after being drafted in the 29th round out of
Michigan State recently.

And Terre Haute North quarterback Matt Seliger���?�s Aunt Mary was in our class, too.

Andy
Amey can be reached by e-mail at
andy.amey@tribstar.com.

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By Chris May
Contributing Writer

With
Franklin Central���?�s JaJuan Johnson giving Purdue
University a verbal commitment
recently, a cascade of recruiting decisions for Indiana kids could follow in short time.

Johnson, a
6â�?��?�10â�?� center who recently competed as a core member of the Indiana Junior
All-Star squad, gives Boilermaker coach Matt Painter his first commit of the
2007 recruiting class. His decision also could affect the choices of multiple
other top-ranked prospects from the state.

A number
of players in Johnson���?�s class of ���?07 are considering and/or have been offered
scholarships by Purdue, and many of those players are also looking at or being
looked at by Indiana
University.

Among those
players are Eâ�?��?�Twaun Moore of East Chicago Central, the 6â�?��?�8â�?� Valpo duo of Scott
Martin and Robbie Hummel, and Connersville���?�s
Matt Howard.

In
speaking with Johnson���?�s AAU coach, Pat Mullin of Spiece Central Stars, at the
Jr.-Sr. All-Star contest June 22 at Huntington,
Mullin confirmed that Johnson was taking a visit to West Lafayette the next day. In talking about
his team (which also includes Howard, recent Butler commit Zach Hahn, and Muncie
Central���?�s Ben Botts among others), Mullin indicated Johnson was probably
closest to making his college decision, but he didn���?�t signal that the Boilers
would be the recipients.

Now that
Johnson has made that selection, the battle for the other top players should
intensify. According to Rivals.com, seven of the Top 100 national players in
the class of 2007 will come from Indiana.

What
Purdue gets in Johnson is an immediate defensive presence, plus shot-blocking
skills few others have. Listed as a still-slender 195 pounds, Johnson will need
to add weight for a more Big Ten-ready game. As he gets stronger, his offense
should also progress.

But what
Purdue might get the most from Johnson is another recruiter.

With
Johnson headed to West Lafayette,
he certainly won���?�t be discouraging other players from attending Purdue. That
could give Painter a small lead in the battle to hold off Kelvin Sampson���?�s
first class at IU for in-state prospects.

With Eric
Gordon of North Central (Indianapolis) committed
to Illinois, Moore is the next highest-rated talent in the
state. Moore, who has been recruited by the Boilers for a couple of years,
attracts national attention with schools like Tennessee
and Miami (Fla.)
in the picture along with IU, Purdue, and Illinois.

Valpo���?�s versatile
Hummel has versatile options for college. The 6â�?��?�8â�?� small forward boasts an
outside shot and ball-handling abilities, and his length and quickness allow
him to defend positions 1 through 5. With those skills, he has a choice of
schools from coast to coast. With offers from multiple Big Ten schools including
Purdue, IU, Iowa, and Northwestern, he could
also go Atlantic Coast Conference (North Carolina
State), Big East (Notre Dame),
Southeastern (Vanderbilt), or PAC-10 (Arizona State)
with around a dozen total scholarship offers.

That said,
Purdue has a very good chance of getting Hummel. He was quoted by The Lafayette Journal and Courier as
saying, â�?��?Itâ�?��?�s (recruiting) coming to a close and Purdue is at the top â�?�¦ They
are my favorites.â�?�

Martin, Hummel���?�s
teammate, doesn���?�t seem as much of a lock but also has Purdue and IU in the
picture. Also carrying about a dozen scholarship offers, options are aplenty
for him.

Howard has
had an offer from Purdue and added a recent one from the Hoosiers, but he���?�s
also giving quite a bit of consideration to mid-major programs. Also high on
the former Spartan���?�s list are Xavier, Butler,
and Miami (Ohio). Mullin commented that Howard could
prolong his recruitment into the school year through August or September before
making a verbal.

Also
nationally ranked is Eshaunte Jones of Fort Wayne North. It is believed the
6â�?��?�4â�?� 2 guard has an offer from IU but not Purdue.

With a
class loaded with talent and Purdue and IU after most of them, the next couple
of months will have fans across the state interested in the recruiting scene. Although
far from guaranteed, it is possible that Moore, Hummel, Martin, and even Howard
could all land at the same school. If they do, it almost certainly would be
Purdue over Indiana.

Purdue
fans are already salivating over a recruiting class that could include a highly
ranked 2 guard (Moore), players in Hummel and Martin who could play the 2-4
spots, and a power forward like Howard to add to a quality class that started
with Johnson. A five-player class covering almost every position on the court
would be a huge catch for Painter.

I believe
that Boiler fans who have suffered the past few seasons could be rewarded with
solid recruiting classes the next few years, thanks to Painter. Even with
Sampson moving in at IU, I honestly think Painter can out-recruit the state of Indiana.

Each coach
has his advantages. Sampson, by bringing in Indiana natives Ray McCallum and Jeff Meyer,
has plenty of recruiting experience. And he also extensive connections
throughout the Indiana
basketball scene and coaching community.

But Painter
and his staff at Purdue have youth. I think that over the next few seasons,
Painter will become the second-best recruiter in the Big Ten. I say recruiter, not coach. Thad Matta has
proven that he is at a level above all others, not only with his incoming Ohio
State class of Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, et al., but also by grabbing
commitments from the best Ohio has to offer in 2007.

Behind
him, Painter sticks out as the next best at connecting with today���?�s high
schoolers and making them comfortable around his program. Illinois
and Michigan State will continue to be top programs,
but their success â�?��?? and not necessarily Bruce Weber or Tom Izzo — gets
recruits. Painter is also a native Hoosier, although he doesn���?�t quite have the
history with coaches that McCallum carries.

Painter���?�s
youth, energy, and enthusiasm make him very appealing to high school prospects.
Ask Oden or any other Ohio
State commit why they
chose the Buckeyes, and you will hear phrases regarding Matta like â�?��?energy,â�?� â�?��?enthusiasm,â�?�
and â�?��?I was comfortable being with him.â�?� The bottom line is nothing equals
recruiting success like being able to relate to high schoolers, and Painter
does that well.

What will
win out as the recruiting wars heat up: IU���?�s coaching connections or Purdue���?�s
ability to connect with the kids? I���?�d tend to lean towards the latter.

But
everything above goes out the window if Gordon goes back on his word and
decides to play for IU. That would be game over, win for the Hoosiers. Gordon���?�s
father confirmed to me last week that Gordon is still talking quite a bit to
the coaches at both Illinois
and IU.

I don���?�t
think he would make mention of that unless he was giving serious consideration
to the Hoosiers. He isn���?�t considering Purdue.

So let the
recruiting circus in Indiana
continue â�?�¦

So what do you
think? Share your thoughts in our Boys Basketball forum.

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