Hersey's Huber Inducted into Illinois Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame

"Incredulous," was John Hersey High School baseball coach Bob Huber's response to the phone call informing him that he had just been voted into the Illinois Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. But, that's typical of this passionately dedicated coach, whose goal has never centered on himself, but on his love of the game and his desire to see his players develop both physically and intellectually.

Huber started coaching in Township High School District 214 in 1988 and took over the head coaching position at Hersey in 1994. As a testament to his focus on the development of players and not on amassing results, he is not completely sure how many victories he has.

"Someone said 396," Huber said, "But I think it’s closer to 369."

However, his achievements on the field do garner respect. Six division championships, one conference championship and three regional championships demonstrate the quality of product he puts on the field. In addition, 47 of his players have gone on to play college baseball, and four, including two current players, have played professional ball.

What makes Huber a truly special coach goes beyond the numbers to the intangibles that he teaches his players. At the beginning of each school year, he sits down individually with his players to discuss their goals for the upcoming school year and baseball season. While he never loses sight of baseball, his primary goal is in developing healthy students who have the skills needed to succeed in any aspect of life. A current mantra of his is, "The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital." And, as is true of the best leaders, Huber embodies his words in all he does. Whether it is baseball, or his classes, or his leadership role within the school, Huber walks his talk, and his players respect him for it.

When asked what Huber does for his players, Ryan Rodgers, a current player on the team, immediately replied, "Wow, that's a lot." After a few moments of thought, he responded, "He continually drives us to be our best on and off the field."

Fellow teammate Jacob Yager added, "He sets the bar very high but at an attainable level; then he works with us to help us achieve these goals."

Assistant coach and Hall of Fame nominator Kevin Kelly believes, "Bob is extremely knowledgeable passionate about baseball, but his first concern is always for the players: their well-being is foremost. He is a class individual and treats everyone with the same respect he expects."

When Huber discovered that he had been voted into the Hall of Fame, he responded with the same humor and humility he displays every day, "I immediately thought, well, it must have been a weak nominating class." When pushed for his reaction to the honor, he responded with: "Stunned…humble. However, the true reward I have received from my years as a coach is the rapport I have built with the students I have been fortunate enough to coach."

Information provided by Township High School District 214.