In the “HOF Insights”, I ask a group of successful, veteran coaches to share their thoughts on a variety of topics. Each week, I ask a different question. The questions can be focused on helping coaches, parents or athletes to have a more successful athletic experience.
In this article, coaches were asked how they promoted their program with young players in the community, within their school, and within their community.
All four of these coaches were outstanding about establishing a program that was very popular in their communities.
Kathy Bresnahan- Iowa City West
“Have someone on your staff inundate social media…”
Nothing motivates a team more than packing the stands and bleachers full of cheering and excited students. Unfortunately that’s not as easy to experience as in years past, I’m not sure if it’s apathy or time constraints for students but it’s imperative that coaches promote their sport
Your product on the field or court must be exciting and competitive. Winning always helps! Each season I would find one or two well-liked and vocal senior guys and appoint them as our team “voice”. I would give them a team shirt and they would lead cheers and encourage their peers to attend the match, the crazier the guys/the better. They would attend our team meals just so they felt bonded with my athletes. I wanted them to feel important
Have someone on your staff inundate social media with blurbs, updates, and interesting anecdotes about your athletes and coaches. Without daily newspapers and less local coverage, many times people in the community would attend if they knew it was game night.
In volleyball I’ve seen teams have student serving contests between the second and third match. Chaotic but fun. Tossing out tshirts to the crowd or Mardi Gras tour beads keeps people engaged
Finally your loudest cheerleaders are the young kids that dream of someday donning that uniform. Have Junior High night to recognize their teams, Girl or Boy Scout night night, Dig Pink night, Alumni night (bring back players from championship teams), etc.
Be excited about your program and your enthusiasm will be contagious!
Mike Reynolds- DeKalb
“It allows the past to stay connected to the your program.”
FIVE successful things that I have done to promote our brand throughout my programs at Bismarck-Henning, Galesburg and DeKalb.
1. Youth Basketball- Working with your feeder program to get kids excited about your program at a young age in crucial especially in today's world where kids and parents have lots of social activities to participate in. Get the young kids excited and they will drag their parents to the games. A few ideas that I have done to create interest with the youth basketball players are: free fall clinics, hosting youth basketball organizations at home games, allowing your feeder teams to play at halftime of soph game, hosted a pizza party at the school so the youth teams could interact with our players (fun for your HS guys also), allowing youth players to be ball boys at games, youth/elementary/junior high nights at the games.
2. Alumni Nights: Bringing back former players, mangers and coaches for a special night. We have ended each night with a guest speaker and a small reception. It allows the past to stay connected to the your program.
3. T-Shirt nights: A way to get students involved in your program. Get a few sponsors for shirts and hand them out. Can start small with 100 shirts, we have grown it to 1000 shirts at times. Many organizations would love to partner with you for their special cause. These are always a HUGE success with the student body. Hospitals/doctor's offices and restaurants are always great sponsors.
4. Recruit student content personnel to help with social media/digital content. This is a scary one as you will want to preview everything that is published on the internet but it is a perfect way to get students involved in promoting your program. Their are students in your school that are really talented in this area and are trying to get their names/work out their.
5. Schedule Posters. This is something that I have done again recently and it has been a hit. No Ads just a photo of a few players in uniform and the schedule. We have placed these all over town and all over community and they are a HIT. It costs a little money for our program but it gets our brand out there.
Mike Cooper- Ottawa
“The young players think that is pretty neat that you show up.”
Selling Your Program with Young Players…
The best way to generate interest in your program is to make it something that looks enjoyable and rewarding to the kids in school who might be interested in playing.
The players on your team need to be approachable and looked up to by the youth in your community. The youth in the community need to have a desire to come watch your team play. I always told my kids to try and acknowledge young players in the community who come to the games. That might be by giving them a high five or just saying something to them when you see them. Parents are appreciative that their kids are being noticed by the older players who are role models.
We always tried to get out as a team and watch the junior high teams play. The young players think that is pretty neat that you show up.
The last thing we do which we have done for over 20 years is have a junior high night in which all 6 feeder schools play in Kingman Gym one night. We get a huge crowd and the kids think it is pretty special to play in the high school gym!
In the end, I think you just need to be visible to young players and show them that you care.
Mark Massey- Clinton, Ia
“Too many coaches seem to think if a losing score is not reported then it didn’t happen.”
I think too many coaches, maybe especially young coaches think, “Well, we’ll wait until we’re really good to really promote the program.” It’s something that has to begin as soon as a coach starts a new position.
In a high school situation I thought it was important to have as many volleyball players nine through 12 involved in student leadership positions- be involved in homecoming, activities, assemblies, and supporting other teams.
I always thought it was important to have team gear- T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, whatever the case might be to identify them as members of the team. In program activities, we encouraged them to wear the team gear around the community & at school.
I am not sure how news or communication works in today’s world in schools but back when I was coaching, announcements were a big deal. The announcements went out from the main office to the entire student body and staff.
Win or lose we wanted to have our scores out there. If we won, we wanted to make a big deal and give individual recognition where appropriate. If there were big match coming up, we would try to use the announcements to promote attendance at those events.
In today’s world I think Instagram and Facebook are critically important. All coaches and parents have to be on the same page at least in terms of keeping disagreements off of social media..
I think the good thing about being a girls volleyball coach nearly 50 years ago was you weren’t gonna get much coverage in the newspaper and you had to develop it yourself. Too many coaches seem to think if a losing score is not reported then it didn’t happen. I think that’s harmful to a program, your setter and outside hitter have aunts, uncles, annd grandparents who are still interested in how many assists or kills their relative had.
I think it’s also important to promote all athletes in the program, not only for achievements in season, and certainly do that, but recognize postseason honors, recognize, academic achievement, anything that can promote your kids in a positive life.
Basketball really lends itself to contests or student body participation during the halftime. I think it was sometime in the late 70s we might have been the first Iowa school outside of the state of Illinois to steal the promotion “pack the place.” Get the kids on the team and in the program that promote attendance. I believe at different times we gave out some T-shirts and prizes to the student body.
Something else that maybe gets overlooked is promoting a sport among the staff. Players think that their teachers may not care, but they’d be surprised if the players specifically asks them to show up. Long ago, we copied something I saw at senior night that Amy Baker at Davenport North used. She had players invite a meaningful or significant teacher to help escort them. I will maintain that we were the second school to do that and now quite a few do this.
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Past articles in the HOF Insights series….
HOF Insights- Past Articles
HOF Insights- Coaching Panel
Bob Anderson- Williamsfield (Boys Basketball) Retired
Bob is retired as boys basketball coach at Williamsfield. At a school of only 89 students, in 45 years, his teams won 732 games along with numerous tourney and conference championships. His 1997 team made it to the Elite 8.
Kimberly Barth- Washington (Girls Basketball) Retired
Coach Barth, a State Championship coach whose passion for the game began at a young age, inspired by her father and coaches who help shaped her love of the game. In her 10 years at Washington varsity head coach, she earned 8 IBCA COY Awards. In 2025 the Panthers took 3rd in State, and in 2026 they won the Illinos State Championship. While her accomplishments speak to her success in the court, her greatest impact has been developing young women through the game she loves- teaching them to compete, lead, persevere and believe in themselves.
Greg Bennett- Lewistown (Football, Track, Girls Basketball, AD) Retired
Greg coached many sports at Lewistown. He had teams go to State in girls basketball and football. He is in the Illinois Football HOF as well as being in the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. He is know for his commitment as a coach and his high energy level.
Vic Boblett- Geneseo, Rock Island (Football) Retired
Geneseo (4 yrs- 36-9), Rock Island (25 years- 230-69), Overall (230-69). As Head Coach- State Championship Game in 1990, 1997. As Assistant Coach at Augustana- National Champs- ‘83, ‘84, ‘85, ‘86. Hall of Fames- Geneseo, Rock Island, Illinois Football Coaches Association.
Todd Borrison- Preston, Assumption, SE Polk, Camanche, Mediapolis (G Basketball) Active
Todd has been coaching girls basketball in Iowa for 34 years, and is still coaching. His overall record is 597-196. Thirteen of his teams have gone to State, and he has had three teams win the Iowa State Championships. Todd was a finalist for the National Coach of the Year.
Nicole Brinkman- Eastland (Girls Basketball) Active
Kathy Bresnahan- Iowa City West (Volleyball) Retired
Kathy coached volleyball at Iowa City West from 1987-2000 and 2005-2013. Her teams made 7 State apprearances and won the State Championship in 2010 and 2011. She wrote a book, “The Miracle Season” about the 2011 season, which was made into a movie. She was National COY in 2011, State COY 2010, 2011. She is in both the Iowa Volleyball HOF and UW-Platteville HOF.
Debbie Coffman- Bloomington CC (Girls Basketball) Retired
Coach Coffman retired after 28 years at Bloomington Central Catholic. Her teams won 634 games with 204. Losses. BCC never had a losing season in her 28 years coaching. Her teams won Illinois State Championship in 2010, and finished 3rd (2010), 2nd (2011), 3rd (2015), and 2nd (2017). Debbie was inducted into the IBCA HOF and the Eureka College HOF. She is the past President of the IBCA.
Mark Cooper- Ottawa (Boys Basketball) Retired
Ottawa has a history of great boys basketball with legendary coaches like Gil Love, Dean Riley, and Gary Vancil. Mark Cooper in his 22 year career as head basketball coach set the OHS record for wins with 357 wins to become the all-time wins leader. Mark also was assistant in football and golf.
Mike Cooper- Ottawa HS (Football, Girls Basketball) Retired
Mike is the retired Athletic Director at Ottawa HS. He was varsity girls basketball coach for 22 years, as well as sophomore football coach for many years. His basketball teams had a record of 410-177, including 12 season of 20 wins and 7 Regional Championships. He was inducted in the IBCA HOF.
Tim Engebretson- United HS (Football) Retired
He was varsity head football coach for many years at United HS. He also has coached basketball at different levels. His 2005 team won the Illinois State Title, and Tim is in the Illinois Football Coaches' HOF as well as the United HOF.
Ralph Gallo- Richwoods (Girls Basketball)
As a head coach at Richwoods, his teams went 80-29. He was an assistant to legendary coaches at Richwoods- Mary Kay Hungate, Wayne Hammerton, Terry Quilty, John Gross, Heather Cassady, Jessica Reardon and Todd Hursey. As an assistant at Richwoods, the varsity teams went 834-213, took 3rd in State, twice took 2nd in State, and won the State Championship in 1983, 2005, 2009, 2018. Coach Gallo was inducted in the IBCA HOF in 2015.
Jay Hatch- Alleman, Riverdale (Softball, Basketball) Active
Coach Hatch has won 4 State Championships- 1 in Girls Basketball and 3 in Softball. In 32 years coaching at West Des Moines Valley (Ia), Alleman, and Riverdale, has a record of 651-351, has won 19 Regionals, 8 Sectionals, 3rd in State (2002) and 1st in State (2005). Jay is in the IBCA Hall of Fame and the Alleman HOF.
Greg King- Sterling HS (Football, Athletic Director) Retired
In his head coaching career at Sterling, his football teams went 78-28, and had 10 straight play-off appearances and 5 conference titles. He is in both the Illinois Athletic Director's Association HOF and the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Jim Martin- Lincolnway East (Girls Basketball) Retired
Coach Martin was the head boys basketball coach at Riverside-Brookfield and Oak Lawn before becoming the head coach at Lincoln-Way East for 17 years. Jim’s career record was 424-272 with 9 Regional Championship, 4 Sectional Finals Appearances, 14 Tourney Championships, and 6 Conference Championships. He has been inducted into the IBCA HOF. Coach Martin has been a longtime leader in the IBCA, serving on the Board of Directors and as past President.
Mark Massey- Clinton HS (Volleyball) Retired
Mark was the head volleyball coach at Clinton for 38 years. His teams won 818 games, and twice took second in State. He is in the Iowa Volleyball HOF and Clinton HS HOF.
Jeff Parsons- Roseville, Wethersfeild, Fulton (Baseball, Basketball, Principal, AD)
Jeff was a highly successful baseball and basketball coach at Kewanee Wethersfield. He was inducted into the IBCA HOF. Presently he is the Principal and Athletic Director at Fulton
Karrie Redeker- Tolona Unity, Parkland College, Illinois Central College (Basketball) Active
Coach Redeker is in her 15th year at Illinois Central College, and her 28th year coaching. She has won over 650 games. Her ICC teams have gone to the Nationals 7 times. She was inducted into the IBCA HOF. Karrie is on the IBCA Board of Directors and is considered a leader in Illinois basketball.
Mike Reynolds- Bismark-Henning, Galesburg, DeKalb Active
Coach Reynolds has been successful at every stop. He is one of the top program builders in Illinois. Going into this season, he has 489 wins. He was selected into the IBCA HOF. He also is a coach with the Illinois Wolves AAU Program.
Larry Schulte- Sherrard, Black Hawk, Fenton, Alleman (Basketball, Athletic Director) Active
Head coach at Sherrard, Fenton, and Alleman. Coach Schulte’s teams won 353 games. Larry guided Alleman to 5 State Appearances in 1995 (4th), 1996 (3rd), 1997, 2000, 2004. After coaching at Alleman, he became assistant coach at Augustana College. HOF’s at Alleman and the IBCA.
Thom Sigel- Rock Falls/Rock Island HS (Golf, Boys Basketball) Retired
Thom coached basketball for 32 years. His teams won 502 games, and he has the distinction of winning the State Title at both Rock Falls and Rock Island. Thom is in the IBCA HOF.
Brad Storm- Geneseo (Boys Basketball) Retired
Brad coached basketball for 33 years. He was head coach at Eminence (Ind), Erie, and Geneseo. At Geneseo, his Maple Leafs won three Regional titles in his 16 years, and the Leafs made the Sweet 16 in 2007-8. In addition, he also coached AAU with Martin Brothers Nike program. Presently, Brad is a regional coach for Lead ‘Em Up. This year he is the President of the IBCA.
Sean Taylor- Shelbyville, Macomb, Quincy, Jacksonville, Moline (Boys Basketball) Active
Mike Tracey- Alleman, UTHS, Moline HS (Football, Athletic Director) Retired
Mike coached football at Alleman, UT, and Moline for over 20 years. He is considered the premier football coach in WB6 history. His teams won 140 games, and twice finished second in State.
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