McKinney inducted into Indiana Hall of Fame

IU professor Tom McKinney teaches a course titled "The History of Indiana High School Basketball."\nWith his induction into the state's Hall of Fame Saturday, the former Bloomington North high school boys basketball coach will soon establish himself as part of the material that he teaches.\nMcKinney received a phone call Nov. 26 from IHSAA Assistant Commissioner Ray Craft, who informed him of his induction into the 2006 class along with 13 other former players and coaches.\n"I always knew I was never going to be in the Hall of Fame as a player," said McKinney, who will be inducted March 22, 2006. "But to get in as a coach, you have to have good players, good assistant coaches, good athletic directors and principals supporting you and good family support. And, of course, you gotta win some games."\nThough McKinney downplays his career as a player, the former Columbus guard competed as a sophomore reserve on a No. 1-ranked team in 1964. Former teammate Steve Hollenbeck, who played on the 1964 Columbus squad, is also a member of the 2006 class. When his playing days were over, McKinney spent eight seasons coaching at Franklin high school before moving on to Bloomington North, where he found most of his success. The coach compiled a 415-168 record during his 25-year career and retired in 2004.\n"I've studied the game of basketball my entire life," McKinney said. "It's been a lot of fun for me."\nWhile at Bloomington North, McKinney mentored several players who went on to find success at the collegiate and professional levels. Former IU standout Jared Jeffries and former University of North Carolina star Sean May were both named Mr. Basketball as high school seniors and are now both playing in the NBA. But McKinney's legacy may have been made in 1997 when Bloomington North garnered the last non-class state championship in Indiana.\n"I remember in 1997 Delta called a timeout with 1:27 left in the game and we were up 25," McKinney said. "I had still been coaching non-stop up until that point. But that was when it finally hit, that we had won the state championship."\nNow, in his post-coaching days, McKinney has shifted his focus to teaching. But his class agendas are not much different than his coaching resume -- filled with famous games, notable players and state championships.\n"I've studied the game of basketball my entire life," McKinney said. "This class has been a lot of fun for me because a lot of the students are from the basketball hotbeds of Indiana."\nSome of McKinney's students, such as senior Ryan McLeland, took notice of the former coach's experiences and accomplishments throughout the semester in his class.\n"Coach McKinney is very knowledgeable about basketball games and the sport of basketball," McLeland said. "He probably knows more than any other guy in the state. With more than 400 wins, he's obviously a great coach and he's really humble about it. He's been a pretty good teacher, but it's obvious he will always be more of a coach"