Virgil Sweet Distinguished Service Award Recipients
Each year the IBCA Board of Directors selects individuals from each of the three IBCA Districts to receive the Virgil Sweet Distinguished Service Award. The award, named in honor of longtime Executive Director of the IBCA, are given to individuals who have provided meritorious service in the promotion of basketball in the state of Indiana.
The six recipients featured below will receive their awards during the IBCA clinic Friday, April 28, 2006.
District I - Homer Drew
Homer Drew is currently in his 17th season as the Head Basketball Coach at Valparaiso University. He has also coached college basketball in Indiana at Indiana University of South Bend and Bethel College. Coach Drew, with the help of his staff, has built Valparaiso University Basketball into one of the finest midmajor Division I programs in the nation. Drew ranks 12th among active Division I coaches with 538 victories during his 27 seasons as a head coach.
In 1998, Coach Drew led the Crusaders to a first ever NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance. A dramatic win over Ole Miss in the opening round will always be remembered for “the shot” when Coach’s son Bryce buzzer beating three became a focal point of the highlights of all major networks and news shows across the nation.
Coach Drew is one of only seven Division I coaches to have six consecutive 20 win seasons. The Crusaders have won six Mid-Continent Conference Championships in the past 7 years and Coach Drew three times has been named Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year.
Coach Drew has toured, coached, and conducted clinics in Europe during his career. He has produced instructional video tapes and is a co-author of a book Find A Way…A Sweet Season.
Coach Drew, the IBCA thanks you for the positive impact you have had on Indiana High School Basketball.
District I - Mike Hey
In 2005, after 38 years, Coach Hey retired from teaching and coaching. He began his teaching and coaching career in the Fort Wayne school system before moving to Leo. At Leo he coached basketball at various levels before leading the Leo girls basketball program for 26 years. During his career, he coached Leo in the Hall of Fame tournament, served as an Indiana All Star Coach, coached the Reebok Indiana North Junior All Stars and has received numerous Coach of the Year awards. Coach Hey’s teams were known for their outstanding defense, holding teams to less than 47 points per game. His teams won 15 conference championships, 11 county tournaments, 5 sectional championships and one regional championship. Coach Hey is the 12th winingest coach in Indiana girl's basketball history with 360 victories. Coach Hey and his wife Judy, a math teacher at Leo, have five children and five grandchildren. Coach, congratulations on an outstanding career and thanks for making a positive impact on Indiana High School Basketball.
District II - Gene Milner
Gene is a 1963 graduate of Rossville High School where he was a four year letterman for Hall of Fame coach Phil Buck. As a senior he averaged over 30+ points per game and was the leading scorer in the state. Gene played his college ball at Butler and was a starter for another Hall of Fame coach and legend Tony Hinkle. In 1967 Gene was chosen to play in the Indiana College vs. Kentucky all star game.
Gene coached high school basketball from 1968 to 1976. During the 1975-76 season, he was involved in a severe automobile accident and after several surgeries spent his last year coaching in a full body cast. The Hall of Fame selected Gene to the 1988 Silver Anniversary Team.
Since 1983 Gene has published the Indiana High School Basketball Record Book and has served as the IBCA Job Placement Director. In 2003, Gene assumed the newly created IBCA website coordinator position.
Gene, thanks for all you have done and continue to do for high school basketball in Indiana.
District II - Herb Schwomeyer
Herb is a graduate of Indianapolis Manuel High School. He earned both his Bachelors and Masters Degrees at Butler University. His Doctorate was earned at Indiana University. After teaching and coaching at the high school level, Herb served Butler University in various positions from 1945 to 1983. He was on assistant to Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle for six years in football, basketball and baseball as well as serving as the assistant athletic director. He also acted as an admission counselor and Butler University Dean of Men during his 38 year career.
Herb was a licensed IHSAA football and basketball official for 12 years. He officiated the 1955 and 1956 State Basketball Tournament Finals. For 21 years he assisted with IHSAA State Basketball tournament telecast for station WRTV Channel 6.
Herb has received just about every major award Butler University has to offer. He has been a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors since 1965. In 1974 Herb was honored with the coveted Silver Medal and was elected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He has received many awards from the state of Indiana including the "Sagamore of the Wabash" from Governor Robert Orr in 1983.
During his illustrious career, Herb also found time to be an author. He wrote Hoosier Hysteria (A History of Indiana High School Boys Single Class Basketball). Herb, thanks for all you have done for high school basketball in the state of Indiana.
District III - Dan Egierski
Dan is a native of South Bend where he played high school football and baseball at La Salle High School. He graduated with a degree in Interpersonal Communications from the University of Evansville in 1978. Dan began his broadcasting career at Tell City in 1979. In 1986 he moved to Evansville and became the sports director at WGBF radio. During his 20 year career in Evansville, Dan has been the play by play voice for the local high school football and basketball teams. He also has had the opportunity to provide play by play for numerous high school championship games involving Evansville schools. In 1989 Dan became the voice of the University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball team and called their three Division II Basketball National Championship games in 1994, 1995, and 2004.
Dan has received numerous state wide awards for broadcasting from both Network Indiana and the Associated Press. In 2001 he received the Distinguished Media Award in District 3 from the Indiana High School Athlete Association. He and his wife are the proud parents of a son Ryan and a daughter Lauren. Dan the IBCA salutes you for all you do for High School sports in Indiana
Distric III - Orlando "Gunner" Wyman
Orlando “Gunner” Wyman is a native of Mayfield, Kentucky. After serving in the Marine Corps in World War II he graduated from Florida State University where he was a three year letterman in basketball. He earned his Masters Degree from Western Kentucky University.
He coached varsity basketball for twenty-nine years. The first six years were in Kentucky with the last twenty-three in Indiana. Tell City was his first job in Indiana. In four years there, the Marksmen won three sectionals, three regionals, and the semi-state in 1961. From there he moved on to Hammond High School where he coached two sectional championship teams.
After five years in Hammond he moved to Vincennes Lincoln where he led the Alices to eleven sectionals, four regionals, one semi-state, and the state championship in 1981.
Gunner’s overall coaching record is 526 wins and 214 losses for a winning percentage of seventy-one percent. He retired from coaching in 1981, but not until he helped lead the Indiana All-Stars to a sweep over Kentucky in the summer of ’81. Gunner, from one end of the state to the other, thanks for your contributions to the history of Indiana High School Basketball.
