Administrators of the Year
Three administrators to receive awards from IBCA
Strong, Brown and Gilbert to be honored by basketball coaches’ group
School administrators Brian Strong of Logansport, Jim Brown of Fishers and Chad Gilbert of Charlestown will be recognized with special awards for the 2025-26 academic year from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
The three athletic directors will be honored as 2026 Administrators of the Year from the IBCA. They are being recognized for their support of basketball programs in their school, area and for state-level events. There is one winner from each IHSAA district. Strong is the honoree from District 1. Brown is cited from District 2. Gilbert is the recipient from District 3.
This is the 18th time in the past 19 years that the IBCA has recognized a group of administrators with a set of awards. The awards have been presented since 2008, but the 2020 honorees received their awards in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. No winners were named in 2021. A list of winners from over the years is at the bottom of this announcement.
Strong, Brown and Gilbert will receive their awards individually at a home basketball game during the 2025-26 season. The exact date for each presentation has yet to be determined. For more information about the IBCA, go to in.nhsbca.org.
More information follows about the 2025-26 IBCA Administrator of the Year honorees.
Click on picture to get the FULL story on each winner
IBCA Administrator of the Year honorees
2026
District 1: Brian Strong, AD Logansport
District 2: Jim Brown, AD Fishers
District 3: Chad Gilbert, AD Charlestown
2025
District 1: Steve Santana, Athletic Director, LaPorte
District 2: Heather McGowan, Athletic Director, Ben Davis
District 3: Jamie Lowry, Athletic Director, Scottsburg
2024
District 1: John Steinhilber, Athletic Director, River Forest
District 2: Drew Tower, Athletic Director, Brownsburg
District 3: Doug Louden, Athletic Director(Retired), Forest Park
2023
District 1: Jack “Chip” Pettit, Chesterton Supt. of Duneland Corp.
District 2: Brandon Ecker, Mt. Vernon (Fortville)
District 3: Jeff Cerqueria, Floyd Central
2022
District 1: Garland Hudson II, Athletic Director, South Bend Washington High School
District 2: Pat Mapes, Superintendent, Perry Township Schools
District 3: Tom Black, Principal, East Central High School
2021
2020 Winners are being Honored in 2021
2020
District 1: Stacy Adams, athletic director, Valparaiso High School.
District 2: Shane Osting, athletic director, New Castle High School.
District 3: Tim Grove, superintendent, South Knox School Corp.
2019
District 1: Nathan Dean, athletic director, Jimtown High School.
District 2: John Clark, athletic director, Ben Davis High School.
District 3: Jeff Doyle, principal, Barr-Reeve High School.
2018
District 1: Jane Allen, superintendent, Middlebury Community Schools.
District 2: Steve Cox, director of transportation, Beech Grove City Schools.
District 3: Steve Killian, athletic director, Wood Memorial High School.
2017
District 1: Patti McCormack, athletic director, Lowell High School.
District 2: Chuck Weisenbach, principal, Roncalli High School.
District 3: Ron McBride, athletic director, Bloomfield Junior-Senior High School.
2016
District 1: Ed Gilliland, athletic director, LaPorte High School.
District 2: Mel Seifert, principal, Plainfield High School.
District 3: Rob Moorhead, superintendent, South Ripley Community School Corp.
2015
District 1: Debb Stevens, athletic director, Caston Junior-Senior High School.
District 2: Troy Inman, principal, Pike High School; Dave Worland, principal, Cathedral High School.
District 3: Brett Bardwell, athletic director, Southridge High School; Jeff Hester, athletic director, Columbus North High School.
2014
District 1: Robert Falls, athletic director, Michigan City High School; Geoff Penrod, athletic director, Columbia City High School.
District 2: Chad Bolser, athletic director, Richmond High School; Phil Ford, principal, Jay County High School.
District 3: Mike Whitten, principal, Boonville High School.
2013
District 1: Don Gandy, principal, Wheeler High School.
District 2: Wayne Barker, superintendent, Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District.
District 3: Don Unruh, athletic director, New Albany High School.
2012
District 1: Michael Smith, athletic director/assistant principal, Munster High School.
District 2: Grant Nesbit, athletic director, Lawrence North High School; Jim Zeller, assistant athletic director, Lawrence North High School.
District 3: Paul Neidig, athletic director, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.; Jerrill Vandeventer, superintendent, Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools.
2011
District 1: Janis Qualizza, athletic director, Merrillville High School.
District 2: Mike Necessary, superintendent, Randolph Southern School Corp.; Kevin Stephenson, athletic director, Beech Grove High School.
District 3: Brad Lindsay, superintendent, Mooresville Consolidated School Corp.
2010
District 1: Larry “Jake” Jackowiak, assistant superintendent, Concord Community Schools.
District 2: Mike Huey, athletic director, New Palestine High School.
District 3: James Babcock, former athletic director, assistant principal and principal, Paoli High School.
2009
District 1: Garry Nallenweg, athletic director, Chesterton High School.
District 2: Kevin Horrigan, athletic director, Greenfield-Central High School; Phil Waddell, athletic director, Hamilton Heights High School.
District 3: Gary Cook, principal, North Decatur High School.
2008
District 1: Michael Pettibone, superintendent, Adams Central Community Schools.
District 2: Jerry Holifield, superintendent, Plainfield Community School Corp.
District 3: Kendall Wildey, principal, Jennings County High School.