Derril Kipp, Longtime Maine West HS Girls Basketball Coach, Dies

Des Plaines, IL—Maine West High School girls basketball coach Derril Kipp, the state's fifth-winningest girls basketball coach, died Tuesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, the Daily Herald reports.

A celebration will be held for Kipp from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 9, at Maine West High School's Spectator Gym, according to a Facebook post by the Maine West High School Athletic Boosters.

Along with his on-court success, Kipp, 77, had gained a reputation as a respected and beloved coach during his 35-year career at Maine West. A Facebook page was set up, in fact, for people to pay their respects and share their memories of Kipp.

Kipp, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year, won 788 games with the school, an accomplishment that was the third-most by any coach for a single school. He also coached the Warriors to an undefeated season and a Class AA state championship during the 1987-88 season. His teams from 1987 to 1989 still hold the state record for most consecutive wins with 65.

Other basketball coaches and members of the sports community from around the state also paid tribute to Kipp, who was inducted to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001, on social media.

More via the Daily Herald

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