When people think of St. Joe’s basketball, they think of Gene Pingatore, Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons, and the movie Hoop Dreams with William Gates and Arthur Agee. Hoop Dreams is a basketball classic, and certainly a part of coach Pingatores’ legendary status, but it’s his wins that matter to the Illinois basketball history book.
When it comes to winning high school basketball games, Gene Pingatore (St. Joes) along with Steve Goers (Boylan Catholic) know it the best, and are at the top of the list. Steve Goers finished his high school coaching career with 881 wins. After coaching at Bardolph, Oswego, LaSalle-Peru, Harvard and Rockford Boylan, Coach Goers retired and notched himself as #1 on the list in the state of Illinois.
While there are a lot of games that define the Steve Goers era, there are none that compare to his signature win against Chicago King that boasted two 7-footers named Rashard Griffith and Thomas Hamilton. To be the best, you need to play the best and that has always been a Coach Goers-ism. While coach Goers is certainly enjoying retirement watching his kids and grandkids grow up, it’s safe to say that he is still out there connecting the dots to make things like the upcoming game(s) happen.
Boylan Catholic Head Coach, Brett McCallister was an assistant to Coach Goers prior to his retirement and waited patiently for his turn at the helm. In his 3rd year, Coach McCallister is carrying on the Boylan tradition of searching out the top competition by heading to Westchester St. Joe’s on February 9th, 2019. With this historic meeting, it’s going to make for some exciting basketball, that’s for sure. I know there is one retired coach who is certainly not going to miss his protege take on the now winningest coach in IHSA history; Gene Pingatore.
In addition to the meeting in Westchester this February, St. Joe’s will head to Rockford in 2020 to take on the Titans. As you could anticipate, these 2 games will be instant classics. Make sure you circle them on your schedule because they are going to be ones you will not want to miss.
Links to check out related to the story
Coach Pingatore – “I am a Teacher, This is my Classroom”
IHSA Boys Basketball All-Time Coaching Records
“King’s Towers” Story – Rashard Griffith and Thomas Hamilton
Coach Goers Retires – NBC Sports Chicago
Future Stories
Pingatore heads to Rockford Boylan, for the second time!?!? Did you know? In 2020, it won’t be the first time Coach Pingatore heads into the Boylan gym! He actually coached a game leading up to the Boylan – King game.
The “Coach Steve Goers Court” Is it time for the second winningest coach in IHSA history to be recognized for putting Boylan basketball on the state map? Ie. The “Coach Steve Goers Court”
Coach Jason Warner
