Loren Wallace - Nokomis High School
1971 - 1989
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[February 02, 2020]
High
School Athletics provide us with the chance to encompass education,
leadership skills and physical strengths to shape young minds for
the future. Some the world’s most successful leaders have been high
school athletes. Tonight, we honor the coaches who have had an
integral part in teaching and developing young people through
competitive nature of sports. We wish to thank the school
administration from Lincoln and Nokomis for allowing us to exercise
our presentation tonight. The amount of respect between these two
schools is what brings us here this evening.
Coach Loren Wallace, came to Nokomis High School in 1971 after
spending four years as an assistant at Litchfield, departed Nokomis
after four seasons to become head coach at Lincoln. During his time
at Nokomis, he helped lay the groundwork for two future high school
coaches, Steve Kimbro and Neil Alexander.
Coach Wallace spent 12 years here at Lincoln Community High School,
guiding the Railers to a fourth-place finish at the Illinois High
School Association Class AA state tournament in 1980. Coach Wallace
would then coach for 3 years at Bloomington and 14 at Quincy, where
the Blue Devils finished third at state tournament in 1998. Many
Railer fans will remember the rivalry of Lincoln and Quincy and
Coach Wallace was at the forefront of the mutual respect between
both programs.
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When Coach Wallace retired from active coaching, he amassed 682
career victories, a few trips to the state tournament and was
inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of
Fame in 1989.
Coach Wallace is proud of the legacy he was able to pass down to his
players. But little did he know, the impact he would have on Steve
Kimbro, John Flowers and Neil Alexander, three former students and players of his,
who would go on to become successful coaches on their own merit.
Coach Wallace…what a testament that must be to you… and I know we
are all thankful for it!
Tonight, we honor the 40th Anniversary of the 1980 IHSA Class AA
Fourth Place State Tournament Team…under the direction of Hall of
Fame Coach Loren Wallace.
[Text received from Cameron Kurtz]
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