Aug. 19, 2006
By Steve T. Gorches / Post-Tribune staff writer
Assistant-coach hires in college sports are usually pretty underwhelming.
Once in a while one will jump out, but for the most part it’s just business as usual.
Friday’s announcement from Valparaiso University women’s basketball coach Keith Freeman was one of the unique times.
Longtime Valparaiso High School girls coach Greg Kirby will put the teaching and coaching grind of high school behind him and head across town to be an assistant under Freeman.
Kirby has been one of the top high school coaches in the state, let alone Northwest Indiana, with 437 career victories combined as a boys and girls coach.
He coached the Portage boys squad for nine years (1978-87) before arriving at Valparaiso in 1990.
In addition to the multitude of victories, Kirby led the Vikings to the top of the Duneland Conference 12 times, as well as 11 sectional titles, eight regional championships, four semistate titles and runner-up in the state twice in 1996 and 2000.
The 1996 effort earned him Indiana coach of the year honors from the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association and the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
“I’m looking for a new challenge at this point in my life,” the 59-year-old Kirby said. “I didn’t really have a desire to be a college coach. I like coaching at the high school level. The opportunity presented itself and thought it would be interesting to try coaching at the college level.”
Freeman admitted he brought up the question of becoming an assistant to Kirby, someone he considers more than a close acquaintance.
“Greg is a close friend and someone I balanced a lot of ideas off of the last 13 years,” Freeman said. “He’ll watch our team play and I’ll ask his opinion. I think he’s very knowledgeable. What he and his staff have accomplished at Valparaiso is amazing. I have a great deal of trust in him.”
It’s not too far of a stretch to say most of the area’s high school coaches will be shocked to hear news of Kirby’s departure. One of his longtime friendly rivals was taken aback by the news.
“I’m surprised that in talking with him, he still had the passion and still was doing a terrific job,” Crown Point girls coach Tom May said. “He had one of the best young talented freshmen classes he’s had in year. I’m happy for him. If he’s happy with the decision and his family is happy, I’m 100 percent behind him.”
Kirby said a key selling point for the move was that it was just from one side of the city to the other.
“That’s what made it a good fit. The planets were aligned right,” Kirby said.
Besides the coaching relationship, Kirby and Freeman also have co-directed a team camp at VU the last four years.
The “acquisition” will enhance the Crusaders’ ability to recruit local and state talent to the women’s program.
One of those local players is someone Kirby has faced from the other side the last four years. Kelly Peller played against Kirby at Chesterton before signing with the Crusaders in the spring.
And she was a thorn the Vikings’ side individually.
“I’ll enjoy that,” Kirby said about coaching Peller. “We really didn’t have much success stopping her.”
As for the job he left behind, Kirby said he will have no input in his replacement and he regrets the timing of his decision with fall practice right around the corner.
Contact Steve T. Gorches at 648-3141 or sgorches@post-trib.com
VHS's Kirby headed to VU--The NWI Times
Former Western Illinois women’s basketball standout Zane Teilane to play in first-ever WNBA Playoffs with Washington Mystics--Western Illinois Athletics
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