IBCA E-Newsletter

2016-17 Championship coaches

Boys

Class 4A: Mark James guided Ben Davis to a 23-5 season, including a 55-52 victory over Fort Wayne North for the Class 4A championship. James is entering his 36th season as a head coach and has a career record of 538-277. He is 100-47 in six seasons with the Giants. James is a 1973 graduate of Martinsville High School, where he competed in basketball, tennis and track. He also is a 1977 graduate of MacMurray College in Illinois, where he played basketball and tennis. James began his coaching career as an assistant at Carmel. His first head coaching position was at Covington for three years, and he coached at Franklin Central for 26 years before moving to Ben Davis. James’ teams have won 11 sectionals, two regionals, one semi-state and one state title.

Class 3A: Chris Hawkins directed Indianapolis Attucks to a 25-4 campaign and the Class 3A state title in a 73-71 thriller over Twin Lakes in his first season as a head coach. Hawkins is a 2001 graduate of Southport High School, where he played basketball and football. He earned his degree from Indiana University in 2014. Hawkins previously was an assistant coach at Indianapolis Shortridge for two years and Brebeuf Jesuit for two years prior to becoming head coach at Attucks.

Class 2A: Brent Brobston led Frankton to the Class 2A crown with a 60-32 decision over Crawford County completing a 23-6 season. Brobston is a 1995 Frankton graduate, and he competed in basketball, tennis and track for the Eagles. He played four years of basketball at Anderson University, earning his bachelor’s in education, and later earned a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern in 2005. Brobston has been coach at his alma mater for nine seasons, compiling a 136-85 record that includes three sectional titles, two regional crowns, two semi-state trophies and one state banner.

Class A: Bob Wonnell directed Indianapolis Tindley to the Class A title in a 24-5 season that included 51-49 title-game triumph over Lafayette Central Catholic. Wonnell is a 1996 graduate of Beech Grove, where he played basketball, and he played college ball at Marian University and Earlham College. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Earlham, and has a master’s in education from Oakland City University. Wonnell was an assistant for one year at Cardinal Ritter, one year at Morristown and three years at Arlington before becoming the Tindley head coach. In 10 seasons with the Tigers, his teams went 155-87 and won three sectionals, one regional, one semi-state and one state. Wonnell was hired as the new coach at Kokomo during the offseason.

Girls

Class 4A: Rod Parker led Homestead to a 28-2 season that included a 61-54 triumph over Pike for the Class 4A state crown. Parker has completed 16 seasons as the Spartans’ coach, posting a 270-112 record that includes five sectional titles, three regional trophies, two semi-state efforts and one state banner. Parker is a 1989 graduate of Fort Wayne Snider, where he played basketball and baseball. He then attended IPFW, where he played two years of baseball and earned degrees in education and administration. He started his coaching career as a boys’ basketball assistant at Homestead before becoming the school’s head girls’ coach. He also coached boys’ golf at Homestead for 16 years.

Class 3A: Sydney Smallbone directed South Bend St. Joseph to the Class 3A summit with a 57-49 decision over North Harrison in her first season with the Indians. Smallbone is a 2007 graduate of SBSJ and helped the team to a Class 3A state title as a player in 2005. She later attended the University of Tennessee, helping the Lady Vols to the 2011 NCAA Championship while earning her degree in business and marketing. Smallbone began her coaching career at Lakeshore High School in Michigan, guiding that team to a 55-11 mark with one district title in three seasons. Her overall record in four seasons is 81-13.

Class 2A: Mike McBride guided Eastern (Pekin) to a 23-7 record, including a 42-31 victory over Oak Hill for the Class 2A state title. McBride is 145-85 in 10 seasons with the Lady Musketeers. McBride is a 1986 graduate of Charlestown High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He continued his baseball career at Greenville (Ill.) College, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1991 and later receiving a master’s degree in 1993 from Eastern Illinois. McBride was a college basketball coach for nine years – three years as men’s assistant, one year as women’s head coach and one year as men’s head coach at Missouri Baptist, plus four years as a men’s assistant at Brescia – before coaching in high school. He was the varsity boys’ coach at Borden for four seasons and a girls’ basketball assistant coach for one season at Henryville before becoming the Eastern girls’ head coach.

Class A: Johnnie Bartley led Wood Memorial to a 28-1 season that included a 68-43 decision over Union City for the Class A crown. In 19 seasons with the Trojans, his teams are 234-231 and have won 10 sectionals, two regionals, two semi-states and one state title. Bartley is a 1988 Wood Memorial graduate, where he competed in football, basketball and track & field. He was an outstanding high jumper at Indiana University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in education. He later received a master’s in administration from Oakland City University. His 2007 team at Wood Memorial was the Class A state runner-up.