Twenty-one basketball leaders with area ties have been deemed Coach of the Year by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
Eleven of these individuals come from the high school level, and one is a college-level coach. Ten local names are listed among IESA honorees, but one is a duplicate from the prep ranks.
Here are the area award recipients:
— College men: DaJuan Gouard, Danville Area Community College
— High school boys: Brian Brooks, St. Joseph-Ogden; Jeff Finke, Champaign Central; Ted Houpt, Danville; Rodney Kellar, Ridgeview; Kevin Roy, Monticello; Ryan Tompkins, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.
— High school girls: Barry Bauer, Watseka; David Beery, Monticello; Jeff Ford, Oakwood; Keith Peoples, Schlarman; Kevin Taylor, St. Joseph-Ogden.
— IESA boys: Jermaine Adams, Urbana seventh grade; Luke Bronowski, Next Generation eighth grade; Carlon Butler, Urbana eighth grade; Mitch Pruemer, Gifford seventh grade; Mike Stokowski, Monticello eighth grade.
— IESA girls: Barry Bauer, Glen Raymond eighth grade; Shawn Nowlan, Unity seventh grade; Shani Potts, Shiloh seventh and eighth grade; Rush Record, St. Matthew Catholic eighth grade; Samantha Stone, Unity eighth grade.