Mount Pulaski dedicates gym to Coach Ed Butkovich (continued)

[December 06, 2014]  MOUNT PULASKI - We can credit Julie Butkovich Horton for being born and thus leading her parents, Ed and Pat, to Mount Pulaski. Ed Butkovich had been teaching and coaching in Bath, Illinois, when Pat told him one day they really needed to find a kindergarten for daughter Julie. "When we decided to leave Bath it was because Julie was going to start kindergarten. If Julie wasn't going to start kindergarten I'd probably still be in Bath," said Pat. She added that she told Ed, "Julie is going to be kindergarten age and we need to get a school."

Ed had interviewed with a school in Savannah, which was also on the river, where the mosquitos are as big as blackbirds according to Pat, but she really did not want to go there. Ed then visited Mount Pulaski and came home talking about the new gymnasium they had there. "Oh, the gym was new, the gym was new," she recalled Ed saying. She added, "Kenny Connelly just wooed him and wowed him to no end, taking him all around town and showing him everything. When he got back to Bath he was just ecstatic because of all these things," she said, smiling. "Finally, I said to him "but do they have a kindergarten?" And he said yes, they have a very nice kindergarten and the school is just perfect."

The year was 1964 and Ed declined the job at Savannah because the Butkovich's were headed to kindergarten in Mount Pulaski. Looking back on those 32 years that Ed taught and coached at Mount Pulaski, Pat has many fond memories.
 

When asked about the 1976 State Championship, one of Pat's fondest memories was doing a cartwheel on the Assembly Hall floor. "I had said if we win this game I'm gonna do a cartwheel on the Assembly Hall floor." And she actually did two cartwheels and the splits. The Butkovich's two daughters were also cheerleaders on that 1976 squad and that made the trip to Champaign without a doubt a family affair.

Pat also mentioned the good times she and Ed had feeding the kids at Thanksgiving before heading out to a Thanksgiving Tournament. She said Ed always tried to make basketball fun and give the kids a family atmosphere. "They were our kids," said Pat, "We had them for a few hours on the court each night and they were our kids."

In 1984, the year the Toppers defeated Mr. Basketball, Lowell Hamilton, and Providence St. Mel on their way to a second place finish, Pat remembered the kids at the hotel in Champaign. "Ed had told Chuck Rolinski to put us in a hotel out at the edge of town," Pat said. Ed wanted the kids away from all the distractions, plus he wanted his kids to sleep before the big game. "For the most part our kids did rest," she added. Providence St. Mel on the other hand did not think they needed to rest. "They didn't think they had a worry in the world with us," Pat recalled. "Our kids were rested and came in there and beat 'em.

Coach Tom Shields told Ed, "I've never met a team like this. I knew it was going to be a tough game but I had no idea. Those fellas just run around us like we weren't even there."

The 1976 and 1984 years were of course the two biggest finishes in Mount Pulaski Hilltopper basketball history with a first and second respectively, but Pat recalled that Mount Pulaski has had a lot of good teams. "We've had good teams that never got out of the regionals or whatever. Each team here was special," she said with a smile.

And many Hilltoppers from those teams showed up Tuesday night as the Mount Pulaski High School gymnasium was dedicated in honor of the legendary coach. Not only was Ed Butkovich a coach, but he was also a math and P.E. teacher, and at one time he was the principal. "When Lee Taylor had a heart attack they asked Ed to be the principal," she said.

When asked about what Ed would think of this honor, she noted, "I know he would be pleased. He would be very humbled...but I know he would be very pleased."

In observation, the famed coach would surely also be pleased at the huge crowd that turned out to welcome his family with open arms and a standing ovation Tuesday night. That daughter, Julie Butkovich Horton, was in attendance with her husband Harvey and son Nick and wife Katie and daughter Ashley. Younger daughter Cyndi Butkovich Harris was also there with her husband Rick.

Daughter Molly was unable to attend as she is currently at Ole Miss and will graduate at mid-term and be on her way to take a job with a senator in Washington, D.C.

Pat spoke rather emotionally about her late husband Ed and her family at the dedication and she was truly overwhelmed by the love shown. So many young men credit Coach "B" for being an instrumental part of their lives and it was quite nice to witness the appreciation from all those in attendance. This was truly a monumental night in Mount Pulaski sports history and Mrs. Butkovich summed it up best, "The evening has been perfect."

[Teena Lowery]

Note: 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the team that won a regional title in Coach Butkovich's first season as coach of the Hilltoppers