Six Indiana high school girls basketball coaches have been chosen as Bob King Coaches of the Year by their peers in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, it was announced Tuesday .
Skeeter Heath of LaPorte, Kristi Kaniewski Ulrich of Penn, Chris Giffin of Lawrence North, Rich Schelsky of Western Boone, Steve Goans of Evansville Mater Dei and Gretchen Miles of Washington were recognized through voting that occurred from late January through mid-February. Honors are awarded according to IHSAA district boundaries, and two coaches from each district are recipients -- Heath and Ulrich in District 1, Giffin and Schelsky in District 2, and Goans and Miles in District 3.(April 8).
Ulrich directed Penn to a 25-2 campaign, including a Class 4A state runner-up finish. Her teams have gone 108-14 in five seasons with the Kingsmen, including two state runner-up efforts.
Giffin led Lawrence North to a 25-2 season, including Marion County Tournament, sectional and regional championships. He is 46-6 in two seasons with the Wildcats.
Schelsky steered Western Boone to an 18-6 record that included a sectional title. He is 66-22 in four seasons with the Lady Stars.
Goans guided Evansville Mater Dei to a 26-2 ledger that included a Class 3A state runner-up finish. Goans is 207-122 in 16 seasons over two stints with the Wildcats, including Class 2A state championships in 2012 and 2013.
Miles' squad at Washington posted a 17-4 mark in 2013-14 for the fifth winning season of her tenure with the Hatchets. Her teams are 76-49 in six seasons at her alma mater. All six coaches will receive plaques as a 2013-14 IBCA District Coach of the Year at the 2014 IBCA Clinic on April 25-26 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis.
District 1: Skeeter Heath, La Porte
Skeeter Heath recently completed his 11th season as girls’ basketball coach at LaPorte, leading the Slicers to a 20-3 season and the Duneland Conference championship.
Heath’s teams amassed a 96-142 record during his time at LaPorte, where he rebuilt a program that struggled in the middle of his tenure but recovered to post winning seasons the past three years.
Previously, Heath was a boys’ basketball head coach at Muncie Burris, a boys’ basketball head coach at Wheeler, a boys’ basketball assistant at Merrillville and a boys’ basketball head coach at Logansport. His teams went 49-36 at Burris, 87-105 at Wheeler and 22-41 at Logansport.
Heath, 59, who competed in basketball, baseball and cross country as a student at Cowan High School, is a Ball State graduate who teaches in the business and technology department at LaPorte.
He and his wife, Bev, have one daughter, Jaclyn, a current senior at LaPorte.
Following the season, Heath announced his resignation as the Slicers’ coach so he can be free to travel and follow his daughter’s basketball career at North Alabama.