A roundtable of former coaches is one of the items planned for the 2014 IBCA Spring Clinic. This year’s panel features a trio of coaches – Sam Alford, Jim Irwin and Donna Sullivan – who will offer their expertise on building programs that stand the test of time. Here is more info on each of the panelists.
Sam Alford
Sam Alford amassed more than 450 wins as a high school basketball coach in Indiana and coached nine additional years as a college assistant.
Alford earned much attention as the coach at New Castle, where his teams posted a 300-188 record over 20 seasons. He was an assistant coach for two years at Franklin and also was a head coach at Monroe City, South Knox and Martinsville – finishing with a career record of 452-245 in 29 seasons at Indiana high schools. As a high school coach, his teams won 17 sectionals, six regionals and one semistate.
He then moved to the college ranks, assisting his son Steve at Southwest Missouri State for four years and the University of Iowa for five years. As a college coach, he was a part of three teams that earned berths in the NCAA Tournament.
Alford coached sons Steve and Sean at New Castle, and more than 50 of Alford’s prep players went on to play college basketball.
Alford three times was chosen an IBCA District Coach of the Year – District 3 in 1975 at Martinsville and District 4 in 1979 and 1995 at New Castle. He also was North Central Conference Coach of the Year three times, a former IBCA president and was Indiana’s nominee for national coach of the year in 1984 and 1986. Alford was chosen as the Indiana All-Star head coach in 1985 after serving as an All-Star assistant coach in 1984. He also was chairman of the NABC’s High School Rules Committee for 14 years.
One of his top memories as a high school coach was a weekend in 1983 when New Castle hosted Marion (with James Blackmon) on Friday night, then hosted Cathedral (with Scott Hicks and Shelton Smith) the next day. He recalls more than 18,000 fans attending the two games – both sellouts in the 9,325-seat New Castle Fieldhouse.
Another top memory was the opportunity to speak at the NABC Conference in 1979 held in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four. That was the year where Indiana State and Larry Bird played Michigan State and Magic Johnson in the NCAA championship game. Over the years, Alford noted that he has delivered talks on basketball in 28 states and in Europe.
Alford was a standout athlete at Washington High School where he graduated in 1956 and earned 14 varsity letters. He carried on the tradition at Franklin College, where he earned another 10 letters in basketball, baseball, cross country and tennis. Alford averaged 21 points as a senior in 1960, leading the nation in free throw shooting and earning Little All-American Honors.
Alford was chosen to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team in 1985. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. He also has been inducted into the Franklin College Hall of Fame.
These days, Alford, 71, is a vice president of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and is a director of the Steve Alford Basketball Camp, a position he has held for 28 years.
Alford and his wife, Sharan, live in Brown County. They enjoy keeping up with their sons, daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren, who range in age from 21 to 12, as well as following UCLA and high school basketball. Alford also spends time fishing, golfing, following the St. Louis Cardinals and working with Franklin College and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jim Irwin
Jim Irwin coached Indiana high school basketball for 37 years, including 18 years as a head coach at four schools. He was inducted into the Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
A 1960 graduate of Atwood High School in northern Indiana, Irwin led the Greyhounds in scoring as a senior with 320 points. He played two years of basketball at Emporia University in Kansas before transferring to Ball State and playing two years of baseball for the Cardinals.
Irwin begin his coaching career in 1964 as a boys’ basketball assistant coach at Straughn for two years, then worked five years as an assistant at Pierceton. He followed by assisting for four seasons at Whitko, then landed his first head coaching position in 1975 at Bluffton.
Irwin guided the Tigers for five seasons, his teams winning sectional crowns in 1976 and 1977. He then moved to Southern Wells for five years, capturing another sectional title in 1982. He followed with a two-year head coaching stint at Salem.
Irwin then assisted for five seasons at Eastbrook before becoming the Panthers’ head coach from 1995-2001 – collecting a final sectional championship in 1998.
Irwin, who earned bachelor’s degrees in history and physical education, was the BSU Alumni Coach of the Year in 1982. Over the years, he noted he was “fired once, RIF’d once, resigned once (not forced) and never coached a Division I player.”
He also indicated that he was fortunate to have coached his three sons, Rob, Dave and John. He also observed there was a time when he and all three sons were head basketball coaches at the same time, while daughter Jennifer works as a teacher and cheer coach.
Irwin and his wife, Mary Ann, live in Warsaw. They enjoy seeing their children and 12 grandchildren. They especially enjoy watching their grandchildren play basketball and pursue their other activities.
Donna Sullivan
Donna Sullivan compiled a 344-241 record in 31 seasons as girls’ basketball coach at Seymour High School, highlighted by a trip to the IHSAA State Finals in 1987.
Over the years, Sullivan’s teams won 10 sectional titles and five regional championships in addition to a semistate crown in 1987. The Owls also captured two South Central Conference titles.
Sullivan was named IBCA District 5 Coach of the Year in 1986, was selected ICGSA District 5 Coach of the Year four times and was chosen as an honoree for Region 4 by the National High School Coaches Association in 1987. She also won an ICGSA Service Award in 2000, was the recipient of the NFHS Robert F. Kanaby Citizenship Award in 2001 and was presented a Virgil Sweet Award from the IBCA in 2004.
Sullivan was the Indiana All-Star head coach in 1989. She also was the All-Star assistant coach in 1982.
She describes her All-Star experience as well as the opportunity to guide so many wonderful young women as the top memories of her coaching career.
A 1966 graduate of Orleans High School, Sullivan attended Indiana University and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1970. She began coaching at Seymour in the fall of 1970 and stayed there until retirement in 2001.
These days, Sullivan spends her time as a travel consultant, serving on the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s women’s committee and assisting the Waldron High School girls’ basketball program. She notes she still very much enjoys teaching the game.
Sullivan lives in Seymour, and she was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
