IBCA E-Newsletter

Click here for the IBCA Spring Clinic registration form.

Items such as a Coaches’ Roundtable, an Issues & Answers Forum plus a session on teaching Free Throw Technique from former Valparaiso High School coach Virgil Sweet highlight the agenda for the 2012 Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Spring Clinic.

Of course, outstanding speakers – this year Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Butler’s Beth Couture, Valparaiso’s Bryce Drew and IUPUI’s Todd Howard – remain a staple for the two-day gathering that is set for April 27-28 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis.

Sessions begin at 11:45 a.m. Friday, April 27 and run through 10:20 p.m. that evening. Sessions resume at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 28 and conclude at 12:30 p.m. Cost to attend the clinic is $50 for current IBCA members and $75 for non-members.

The Coaches’ Roundtable tips off the Clinic agenda and will feature Hall of Fame inductees Mike Broughton, Jim Miller and Ed Siegel on a panel moderated by Indiana SportsTalk host Bob Lovell. The three coaches will discuss steps that they took to make their programs successful for the long run, and questions from those in attendance will be encouraged. (More on these three coaches can be found elsewhere in this E-newsletter.)

Nine of this year’s 12 IBCA Coaches of the Year also will speak during the program (more on all 12 IBCA Coaches of the Year can be found elsewhere in this E-Newsletter). Hebron’s John Steinhilber, Griffith’s Tom Golumbeck and Fort Wayne Canterbury’s Scott Kreiger are other high school coaches who will speak at this year’s clinic.

Featured Speakers

Tom Izzo, Michigan State University

Tom Izzo is in his 17th season as Michigan State men’s basketball coach, and his Spartans have compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, including the 2000 NCAA champions, seven Big Ten regular-season championships, three Big Ten Tournament championships, 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, 10 Sweet Sixteen spots and six Final Four berths.

Izzo, 412-169 with another Sweet Sixteen berth in 2012, is a four-time National Coach of the Year who has graduated 81 percent of his players who completed their eligibility. He has had six All-Americans, 12 NBA draft picks, six first-round NBA draft picks and 25 all-Big Ten players.

In 2009, Izzo passed Jud Heathcote (340 wins) to become MSU’s all-time winningest coach. His teams made six Final Fours between 1999 and 2010, becoming just the fourth school to do so in any 12-year span. He has an overall win percentage of .709. This was his 29th season in East Lansing, the first 12 as an assistant to Heathcote.

The 57-year-old coach also is a leader off the floor, serving as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2010-11. Izzo also is a member of the John R. Wooden Award Board of Governors and the USA Basketball Collegiate Committee.

Four current NCAA Division I head coaches are former Izzo assistants. That group include’s Indiana’s Tom Crean, South Florida’s Stan Heath, Georgia Tech’s Brian Gregory and Tulsa’s Doug Wojcik. Current assistant Mike Garland was a head coach at Cleveland State after a previous stint as an Izzo assistant, and former assistants Stan Joplin and Jim Boylen have been head coaches at Toledo and Utah, respectively.

Izzo joined the MSU coaching staff as a part-time assistant in 1983. A Spartans’ assistant from 1983-86, Izzo left in May 1986 to become the top assistant at Tulsa. But one month later, he returned to MSU when Mike Deane departed Michigan State to become head coach at Siena. Izzo took over as head coach for the 1995-96 season.

Izzo came to Michigan State from Northern Michigan, where he served as an assistant from 1979-83. Izzo played guard at NMU from 1973-77 and was voted the team’s MVP as a senior. He was a third-team NCAA Division II All-American, then coached one season at Ishperning (Mich.) High School before moving to the college ranks. Izzo was inducted into the NMU Hall of Fame in 1990 and was installed in the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame in 1998. He has delivered commencement addresses and received honorary degrees at both NMU and MSU.

Izzo and his wife, Lupe, have two adult children – Raquel and Steven.

Beth Couture, Butler University

Beth Couture has helped Butler University become one of the premier women’s basketball program’s in the Midwest.

Fresh off her 10th season with the Bulldogs, Couture’s teams have compiled a 161-144 record. Her tenure has included a stretch of four consecutive 20-win seasons, six straight winning seasons and three consecutive postseason Women’s NIT berths.

Couture has a career mark of 419-261, including 13 seasons at Presbyterian College (S.C.), and her three-year Butler string of postseason appearances is a program first since the Bulldogs moved to NCAA Division I in 1984-85. Her top season at Butler came in 2009-10, when the Bulldogs went 23-10 and qualified for the WNIT. The year before, Butler went 20-12 and made the WNIT second round. The ‘Dogs also made the WNIT in 2010-11.

During Courture’s tenure, the Bulldogs have had 10 players selected to all-Horizon League teams, five chosen to the all-newcomer squad and six picked for the all-defensive team. She has had six players score more than 1,000 career points and five players pursue overseas opportunities as professional players.

Couture became a college head coach in 1989-90 at Presbyterian. She went 258-117 with eight 20-win seasons and six NCAA Division II berths, four times earning South Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. She previously was an assistant for two seasons at Presbyterian after compiling a 49-28 record as head coach at Due West (S.C.) Dixie High School in three years.

A native of Greenville, S.C., Couture is a 1984 graduate of Erskine College where she was a four-time basketball team MVP and a Kodak All-American as a senior. She was inducted into the Erskine Hall of Fame in 1989. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Erskine and a master’s degree at Furman University in 1987.

Personally, Couture has overcome adversity. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2009, then went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments to return to the court by November 2009. She has been cancer-free since 2010 and has become a community leader in the fight against the disease. She was recognized as Butler’s 2010 Woman of Distinction for her role in battling the disease.

Bryce Drew, Valparaiso University

Bryce Drew recently completed his first season as Valparaiso University head coach following six seasons as an assistant coach at the school.

He opened in fine fashion, leading the Crusaders to a 22-12 season as a first-year boss that included a Horizon League regular-season championship and a postseason NIT berth. The successes led to Drew being named HL Coach of the Year as well as two VU players being recognized with first-team all-league honors and one of them (junior Ryan Broekhoff) earning accolades as HL Player of the Year. This all occurred with a team that was picked to finish fifth in the HL in the preseason.

Drew played at Valparaiso for his father, Homer, becoming the school’s most decorated player by leading the team to three NCAA Tournaments, hitting one of the most famous shots in NCAA Tournament history in a 1988 upset of Mississippi (a play that won an ESPY) and then going to the NBA for a six-year career with the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets.

He started 41 games for the Bulls and averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 assists in 2000-01, and he completed his NBA career with 1,081 points and hitting 37 percent of his 3-point attempts. He also was honored in 1999 by the NBA with its Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Award for Sportsmanship.

Drew joined the VU coaching staff in 2005-06 and helped the Crusaders to 102 wins over six seasons, including a 23-win season in 2010-11. During his tenure as an assistant coach, he has coached 13 players who went on to play professional basketball overseas.

A graduate of Valparaiso High School, Drew was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 1994 immediately made an impact at VU. He was Mid-Continent Conference Newcomer of the Year, four times won all-league honors. three times was Mid-Con Tournament MVP and twice was Mid-Con league MVP. He capped his career by being named third-team All-American as a senior. He also played for a U.S. team that won the World University Games in 1997.

Drew twice is a member of the VU Hall of Fame, inducted individually in 2003 and as part of the 1998 Sweet Sixteen team in 2009. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.

The 37-year-old coach and his wife, Tara, reside in Valparaiso.

Todd Howard, IUPUI

Todd Howard recently finished his first season as head coach at IUPUI, directing the Jaguars to a 14-18 mark that included a 7-11 slate in the Summit League. In his inaugural campaign, he had one player (senior Alex Young) chosen first-team all-conference and another (sophomore Ian Chiles) picked to the all-newcomer squad.

Howard became the seventh coach in IUPUI history in April 2011 when he was selected to succeed Ron Hunter, for whom he had served as an assistant for 16 seasons, the last 10 as associate head coach. Before his promotion, Howard had been recognized by Hoop Scoop and Fox Sports as one of the top assistant/associate coaches among mid-major programs.

Howard long has been a key factor in IUPUI’s success, including a school-best 26-win season in 2007-08 and the program’s first NCAA Division I postseason win in 2010. He also helped recruit talented players such as George Hill, who went onto become a Summit League Player of the Year, get drafted in the NBA first round by the San Antonio Spurs and now plays for the Indiana Pacers. Hill is one of seven Indiana All-Stars signed out of high school by IUPUI since Howard became associate head coach.

Also since that move, IUPUI has captured or played for six league titles, produced two league Players of the Year, two Newcomers of the Year, a Sixth Man of the Year and a Defensive Player of the Year.

A native of Louisville, Howard is a 1989 graduate of Louisville Ballard High School and helped his team win a Kentucky state title in 1988. He went on to play at the University of Louisville for Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum on teams that twice won Metro Conference titles and three times played in the NCAA Tournament. Howard then served one season as a student-assistant coach under Crum before moving to IUPUI.

Howard and his wife, Patti, have two children – Adam, 12, and Katie, 9.

Virgil Sweet, former Valparaiso High School coach

Virgil Sweet is widely known for what is known in coaching circles as the Valpo Free Throw Method. The former Valparaiso High School coach – who directed the Vikings from 1954-74, helped found the IBCA and for whom IBCA Distinguished Service Awards are named – will teach that method as part of the 2012 IBCA clinic.

It is a technique that helped his teams capture 14 sectionals, including 11 in a row, and two regionals over his 20 seasons. With protégés such as Dale Ciciora, Skip Collins, Bob Punter and Joe Otis guiding the Vikings for all but two of the past 58 seasons, the Valpo Free-Throw Method has lived on and helped contribute to 37 sectional crowns since Sweet arrived in 1954.

Sweet’s 1963-64 team shot a national high school team record .792 for the season, and his last 15 teams each shot better than 70 percent from the line with a combined .728 accuracy rate. Of note, former player Mike Copper, retired superintendent of Lawrence Township Schools, set a national record for high school players by making 409 consecutive free throws. Copper is one of 11 players who made 100 or more in a row during practice sessions.

Valparaiso honored Sweet and his legacy during the past season, holding a Virgil Sweet Night on Dec. 27, 2011, as part of a game against Chesterton. That night, Sweet shared credit for the Free-Throw Method with Ciciora, his assistant coach of 15 seasons.

“We developed a free throw method with 20 steps, and many of the steps were Dale’s suggestions,” Sweet said. “The method was a great improvement, and we noticed a big difference on the team. We wrote a book about it, and it told in all 50 states and in five countries.”

A 1945 graduate of Covington High School and a 1950 graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Sweet guided his teams to 342 victories in a 25-year career, the last 20 at Valparaiso. Sweet coached two high school All-Americans, 57 players who went on to play in college and 20 who became coaches.

“Coach Sweet is the single most influential person in the history of Viking basketball,” Collins said. “VHS basketball, mediocre at best when he arrived, has enjoyed consistent success of the succeeding 55-plus years.”

Copper will be on hand and demonstrate free throw technique as Sweet explains each of the 20 steps to those attending the IBCA clinic. They also will explain several Free Throw drills.

Sweet, 84, has been inducted into four basketball halls of fame, including the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He lives in Largo, Fla., and sells real estate in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area.

Additional Speakers

Tom Golumbeck, Griffith

Tom Golumbeck led the Griffith Lady Panthers to an 18-7 record, a second-place finish in the Northwest Crossroads Conference and a sectional championship in 2011-12.

He is 166-84 in his 11 years at Griffith. During his tenure, Golumbeck’s teams have won four sectional titles and a regional championship. His teams are consistently ranked in the top 10 in the state for defense. For the 2011-12 season, Griffith allowed just 31.5 points per game. He was named Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2011 by The Times of Northwest Indiana.

Golumbeck currently is a guidance counselor at Griffith High School. He is a 1985 graduate of Highland High School, a 1989 graduate of Indiana University and a 1996 graduate of Purdue University.

Scott Kreiger, Fort Wayne Canterbury

Scott Kreiger has had tremendous success during his tenure as girls basketball coach at Fort Wayne Canterbury.

Kreiger’s Cavaliers have compiled a 251-88 record over 14 seasons, including Class A state championships in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012. His teams also have won 12 sectionals, six regionals and four semistate crowns.

His most recent squad went 25-2, beating Northeast Dubois 64-54 in the state title game in Terre Haute. That record matched the mark of his 2009-10 squad as the best record in program history.

A 1983 graduate of Columbia City High School and a 1988 graduate of Manchester College, Kreiger played basketball in high school and for one season in college. He began his coaching career in 1984-85, serving for 14 seasons as an assistant coach to his father, Wayne, with the Columbia City girls. He then moved to Canterbury as head coach beginning in 1998-99 and has built that program into a state power.

Kreiger three times has been chosen the Class A state Coach of the Year by the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association, and he was selected the NFHS Indiana Coach of the Year in 2010. He also has been selected to serve as head coach of the 2012 Indiana Girls All-Star Team.

Kreiger, who also has a master’s degree from IPFW, teaches high school math at Canterbury. He and his wife, Stacie, have four children – Colten, 22; Cassie, 19; Christian, a freshman at Canterbury; and Cameron, a sixth-grader at Canterbury.

John Steinhilber, Hebron

John Steinhilber has guided the Hebron boys to a 36-10 record over two seasons, including a 23-2 mark in 2011-12 that included Porter County Conference and sectional championships. His team’s defensive average of 45.3 is the school’s best since 1952, and his 2011 squad was the South County Tournament champions.

A graduate of Boone Grove High School and Saint Joseph’s College, Steinhilber has an overall coaching mark of 157-154 in 14 seasons. He previously coached for six years at South Central (Union Mills) and guided the Satellites to two PCC titles as well as coaching a 2010 Indiana All-Star. He also coached for six seasons at Calumet and led the Warriors to a 2000 sectional title.

Steinhilber worked the IBCA Underclass Showcase in 2009 and 2010 and coached in the 2012 Indiana Elite North-South 2A Junior All-Star game. He also has served as an assistant coach at Andrean, Saint Joseph’s College, South Central and Boone Grove.

He and his wife, Melissa, have three sons – Malachi, Isaiah and Xavier.

IBCA Clinic Schedule

Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, 2012

Friday, April 27, 2012 Auditorium
11:45-12:40 p.m.	Round Table Discussion: Moderator, Bob Lovell Hall of Fame coaches Mike Broughton, Jim Miller, Ed Siegel
12:45-1:15 p.m.	Welcome/IBCA Issues & Answers: Chris Benedict, Steve Witty and Marty Johnson
1:20-2:00 p.m.	John Steinhilber, Hebron: “High-Low Offense Adapted to High School”
2:05-2:45 p.m.	Scott Heady, Carmel: “Offensive and Defensive Concepts”
2:50-3:30 p.m.	Brian Satterfield, Hamilton SE: “Pack Line Defense and Out-of-Bounds Plays”
3:35-4:15 p.m.	Greg Werner, Southridge: “Half-Court Defense”
4:15-5:30 p.m.	REGISTRATION
Main Gym
5:30-6:25 p.m.	Beth Couture, Butler University: “Drills to Build Your Offense and Defense”
6:30-7:10 p.m.	Awards, Introductions, Special Recognition Virgil Sweet Awards Pat Aikman Awards Roy Gardner/Mildred Ball Awards Administrators of the Year George Griffith Champion & Runner-up Coaches Award Coaching Victory Milestones Introductions of College Coaches in Attendance
7:15-8:00 p.m.	Virgil Sweet, former Valparaiso coach: “The Valparaiso Free Throw Method”
8:05-9:15 p.m.	Bryce Drew, Valparaiso University
9:20-10:20 p.m.	Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Saturday, April 28, 2012
8:00-8:30 a.m.	Donuts and coffee
8:30-9:10 a.m.	Stacy Meyer, Greensburg: “4-Out, 1-In Motion Principles” Scott Kreiger, Fort Wayne Canterbury: “Winning Basketball”
9:15-9:55 a.m.	Al Gooden, New Haven: “Post Man Development” Eric Thornton, Norwell: “Spread Offense”
10:00-11:00 a.m.	Todd Howard, IUPUI
11:05-11:45 a.m.	Bryan Hughes, Barr-Reeve: “Favorite Drills and Favorite Sets” Tom Golumbeck, Griffith: “Practice Drills and The Gap Defense”
11:50-12:30 p.m.	Chris Johnson, Homestead: “Guard/Forward Drills Leading into Motion Offense” Mark Holt, Barr-Reeve: “The 11 Series, a Collection of Man-To-Man Sets”