Streaks Boys Basketball Coaches Thru History

All The Coaches

1903-4- Turk West (Student)

1904-5- Maynard Swanson (Student)

1905-6- Henry Aldrich (Student)

1906-7- Arthur Bridge (Student)

1907-8- Lee Allensworth (Student)

1908-9- Ed Adams (Student)

1909-10- Clarence Jordan (Student)

1910-12- T.W. Callahan

1912-3- Hayes

1913-6- T.W. Callahan

1916-7- Wilmoth

1917-8- Blum

1918-9- Buck

1919-20- Peters

1920-3- Kieth

1923-7- John Gillespie

1927-9- Eldon Volk

1929-50- Gerald Phillips

1950-4- Ken Menke

1954-5- Frank Adams

1955-73- John Thiel

1973-7- Mike Owens

1977-9- Gordon Kinkead

1979-84- Barry Swanson

1984-6- Ed Sennett

1986-9- Dave Peck

1989-96- Barry Swanson

1996-9- Mike Miller

1999-2003- Geoff Falk

2003-08- Jeff Houston

2008-19- Mike Reynolds

2019-21- Ryan Hart

2021-5- Chad Thompson

All-Time Trivia

Player-Coaches

First seven coaches at GHS were students, who were player-coaches.

First Paid

T.W. Callahan was paid by GHS to teach, and then he also coached. It is doubtful he received payment for the coaching. 

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland was President one term, then not President, then came back later to be President. T.W. Callahan was coach from 1910-1912 and then 1913-1916. Barry Swanson was coach from 1979-1984 then again 1989-1996.

Bad Timing

T.W. Callahan took one year off from coaching, then came back. The year he took off, Galesburg won the State Title with Hayes as the coach. 

Total Number of Coaches

There has been 33 coaches, the next coach will be the 34th coach. (This number counts each time a coach is hired, so Callahan and Swanson have been coaches twice.)

Math of Basketball

The first two teachers to coach at GHS were Callahan who taught Geometry, and Hayes who taught Algebra. In the “modern era,” Ed Sennett was the only coach to teach math. 

Why Only One?

E.W. Hayes (1912-1913) and Frank Adams (1954-1955) each coached only one year at GHS. Hayes won the State Championship in 1913 and Adams’ team went to the Elite 8. Adams left GHS to coach at Knox College where his teams were highly successful.

Perfectly Good or Perfectly Bad

Steve Cheesman and Art Fish have the distinction of coaching one varsity game. Art Fish coached one game when head coach, Gerald Phillips was ill. This was the only game Phillips missed in 21 years of coaching. It is not known if Fish won or lost, so he either has the best winning percentage in Streaks history or the worst. Steve Cheesman filled in one game for Mike Reynolds. The Streaks won over Moline. So either Cheesman has the all-time best winning percentage or is tied with Art Fish for the best winning percentage. 

Longest Tenured

Only six coaches have coached 5 or more years in the 120+ years of Streaks basketball. 

Jeff Houston- 5 years

T.W. Callahan- 5 years

Mike Reynolds- 11 years

Barry Swanson- 12 years

John Thiel- 18 years

Gerald Phillips- 21 years

Most Wins in Season

30- 1998- Mike Miller

29- 2016- Mike Reynolds

29- 2020- Ryan Hart

29- 1959- John Thiel

27- 1966- John Thiel

27- 1968- John Thiel

27- 1976- Mike Owens

Best Season Winning Pct.- Before 1930

1.000- 11-0 1906 Henry Aldrich

.944- 17-1  1913. E.W. Hayes

.938-  15-1. 1907. Arthur Bridges

.913-  21-2. 1924. John Gillespie

.909-  10-1. 1905. Maynard Swanson

Best Season Winning Pct.-After 1930

.935- 29-2. 1959. John Thiel

.926- 25-2. 1960. John Thiel

.909- 30-3. 1998. Mike Miller

.909- 20-2. 1935. Gerald Phillips

.897- 26-3. 1957  John Thiel

Back to Back Seasons- Most Wins

54- 1959, 1960 John Thiel

54- 2015, 2016 Mike Reynolds

52- 1968, 1969 John Thiel

52- 1997, 1998 Mike Miller

49- 1956, 1957 John Thiel

Back To Back To Back Seasons- Most Wins

76- 2014, 2015, 2016. Mike Reynolds

75- 1966, 1967, 1968. John Thiel

75- 1968, 1969, 1970. John Thiel

73- 1958, 1959, 1960. John Thiel

73- 1964, 1965, 1966. John Thiel

73- 1967, 1968, 1969. John Thiel

Consecutive Regional Championships By Coach **

15- 1956-1970. John Thiel

9- 1931-1939.  Gerald Phillips

6- 1943-1948.  Gerald Phillips

** Districts in the 1930’s became Regionals later. 

Consecutive Sectional Championships By Coach

3- 1945-1947. Gerald Phillips

2- 1937-1938. Gerald Phillips

2- 1956-1957. John Thiel

2- 1959-1960. John Thiel

2- 1963-1964. John Thiel

2- 1968-1969. John Thiel

Most Coaches in Decade

4- 1950’s- Gerald Phillips, Ken Menke, Frank Adams, John Thiel

Fewest Coaches in Decade 

1- 1930’s- Gerald Phillips

1- 1940’s- Gerald Phillips

1- 1960’s- John Thiel

1- 2010’s- Mike Reynolds 

Best Career Winning Percentage Since 1930

.815- John Thiel

.809- Ryan Hart

.724- Mike Miller

.665- Gerald Phillips

.630- Barry Swanson

.629- Mike Owens

.623- Mike Reynolds

.600- Frank Adams

Most Wins Since 1930

398- John Thiel

332- Gerald Phillips

218- Mike Reynolds

203- Barry Swanson

20 Win Seasons

12- John Thiel

6- Gerald Phillips

6- Mike Reynolds

3- Barry Swanson

2- Mike Miller

Most Winning Seasons

18- Gerald Phillips

18- John Thiel

10- Barry Swanson

8- Mike Reynolds

All-Time Regional Championships

16- Gerald Phillips **

16- John Thiel

5- Barry Swanson

2- Mike Owens

2- Mike Miller

** What is today called a Regional was called a District throughout most of the 1930’s and 1940’s. The IHSA then changed the name to Regionals but then set up Districts to be a tourney for small schools to play before the Regional. 

All-Time Sectional Championships

9- John Thiel

7- Gerald Phillips

1- Frank Adams

1- Mike Owens

1- Mike Miller

All-Time State Appearances

8- John Thiel

7- Gerald Phillips

1- Frank Adams

1- Mike Owens

1- Mike Miller

Galesburg Basketball Since Thiel

How Many Years?

John Thiel’s last year was 1972-3. So there have been 52 basketball season since then. 

How Many Coaches?

There has been a total of 12 coaches since Thiel retired- Mike Owens, Gordon Kinkead, Barry Swanson, Ed Sennett, Dave Peck, Barry Swanson, Mike Miller, Geoff Falk, Jeff Houston, Mike Reynolds, Ryan Hart, Chad Thompson. 

52 Years By The Numbers **

24- Winning Seasons

28- Losing Seasons

14- 20 Win Seasons

13- Regional Championships

2- Sectional Championships

2- State Appearances

** The IHSA separated basketball into 2 Classes in the 1970’s then 4 Classes just after 2000. 

Longest Tenure

12- Barry Swanson

11- Mike Reynolds

5- Jeff Houston

Shortest Tenure

2- Gordon Kinkead

2- Ed Sennett

2- Ryan Hart

Most Games Won

218- Mike Reynolds

203- Barry Swanson

Best Win Pct.

.809- Ryan Hart

.724- Mike Miller

.630- Barry Swanson

.629- Mike Owens

.623- Mike Reynolds

Regional Championships

5- Barry Swanson

2- Mike Owens

2- Mike Miller

Sectional Championships

1- Mike Owens

1- Mike Miller

State Appearances

1- Mike Owens

1- Mike Miller

20 Win Seasons

6- Mike Reynolds

3- Barry Swanson

2- Mike Miller

Winning Seasons

10- Barry Swanson

8- Mike Reynolds

3- Mike Owens

2- Mike Miller 

2- Ryan Hart