Brief biographies of the four girls’ state championship coaches from the 2019-2020 season. The boys’ tournament was halted at the end of sectional play, so no boys’ state champions were determined in the 2019-2020 season.
Girls
Class 4A: Chris Giffin guided Lawrence North to a 26-4 season that included the Class 4A state championship. Along the way, his team won the Marion County Tournament, the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference, the Indianapolis Tech Sectional, the Decatur Central Regional and the Jeffersonville Semi-State. In eight seasons with the Wildcats, Giffin’s teams have compiled a 174-36 record with five sectional titles, four regional crowns, two semi-state trophies and Class 4A state runner-up finish in 2019. Giffin previously was a Lawrence North boys’ basketball assistant for 10 years. He also spent one season as a men’s graduate assistant coach for Bob Knight at Texas Tech. He is a 1996 graduate of Ben Davis, earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 2001 and a master’s degree from IUPUI in 2004.
Class 3A: Adam Yoder directed NorthWood to a 28-3 season that included the Class 3A state championship. Earlier, the Black Swish won the Northridge Bankers’ Classic, the Northern Lakes Conference, the Lakeland Sectional, the Jimtown Regional and the LaPorte Semi-State. In six seasons as NorthWood’s varsity coach, Yoder’s teams compiled a 108-48 record with two NLC championships and two NLC Coach of the Year awards. He previously was a NorthWood girls’ basketball assistant for six years. He previously was a boys basketball assistant at Bremen and also has coached football, boys track and girls golf. Yoder is a 1998 graduate of Bremen High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from IU-South Bend in 2003 and a master’s degree from Olivet Nazarene in 2008. Yoder stepped down as the NorthWood girls’ coach at the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season.
Class 2A: Jared Rehmel led Linton-Stockton to a 25-5 season that included the Class 2A state crown. Along the way, the Miners won the Southwestern Indiana Conference, the Eastern Greene Sectional, the Paoli Regional and the Jasper Semi-State. In six seasons at Linton-Stockton, Rehmel’s teams have compiled a 79-71 ledger. Rehmel is a 2006 graduate of Shakamak High School, where he competed in basketball and baseball and helped the Lakers to baseball Class A state runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2006. Rehmel played basketball at Olney Central College, the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Southern Indiana, earning an associate’s degree from Olney Central in 2009 and a bachelor’s degree from USI in 2012. He was an NJCAA honorable mention All-American at Olney Central and a student-assistant men’s basketball coach at USI in 2011-12. He works as a management analyst for Amentum in Odon, Ind.
Class A: Brian Smith guided Loogootee to a 27-2 season that included the Class A state championship. Along the way, his Lions also claimed crowns in the Blue Chip Conference, the North Daviess Sectional, the West Washington Regional and the Jasper Semi-State. In five seasons with the Loogootee girls, Smith’s teams have compiled a 90-32 record. Smith began his coaching career in 1999 at White River Valley, where he served as a basketball assistant coach for seven seasons. He was named the boys’ varsity coach at Shoals in 2007, where he guided the Jug Rox to a 36-90 slate over six seasons. He became the Loogootee girls’ coach in 2015 and is in his 22nd year as a health/physical education teacher at Shoals. Smith is a 1991 graduate of White River Valley High School and a 1997 graduate of Indiana State University.
