Lewis Athletics Announces Third Class Of Academy Of Coaches

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Lewis University Director of Athletics Dr. John Planek recently announced on the third class of the Lewis Academy of Coaches, including Mike Dooley (Class of 1972), Bob Gillespie (Class of 1971), Kenn Krizan (Class of 1967) and Tom White (Class of 1983).

The university said the four-member class will be honored during halftime of the men's basketball game against McKendree on Jan. 15.

According to the university, Dooley led the baseball program at St. Xavier University for 22 seasons from 1993-2014 and was associated with the team for more than 30 years. He guided SXU to an 807-501-3 overall record, good for a .617 winning percentage. He built a strong program as his teams averaged over 37 wins each season and sent 20 players to professional careers. He was named the NAIA Region VII and CCAC Baseball Coach of the Year in 2006. He was also named Regional Coach of the Year in 1994 and was the CCAC Coach of the Year in 1994, 1999, 2002 and 2009. Dooley has been inducted into the CCAC Hall of Fame, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Hall of Fame and the St. Xavier Hall of Fame, the university said in a release.

Gillespie is the winningest coach in Ripon College history in both baseball and men's basketball. He had a combined record of 869-536-3. He took the Red Hawks to new heights in men's basketball winning six Midwest Conference championships and took the team to 10 NCAA Tournaments while averaging 16 wins per season, according to the university. Gillespie's winning percentage of .673 in basketball is amongst the top 40 in Division III history. As basketball coach, he coached four All-Americans, three Academic All-America selections, 14 All-Region selections, 76 All-Conference performers and five MWC Players of the Year, the university said.

On the baseball diamond, Gillespie led Ripon to six conference championships and three NCAA Division-III playoff appearances, while compiling a 359-288-3 record. One highlight of his baseball coaching career came in 2006 when the Red Hawks became the first MWC team to go undefeated in a 16-game conference season. Gillespie led Ripon to seven conference titles on the diamond and was a part of seven more as an assistant coach under his father Gordie from 1995-2005. He has been inducted into the Ripon College Athletic Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the basketball court in Ripon's Wyman Gymnasium at Storzer Center was renamed Bob Gillespie Court in 2010.

Krizan won over 1,000 games between junior high school and high school in his 40-year career at Beecher High School, the university said. He won 24 conference championships, 10 regional titles, five sectional titles and made two appearances in the state finals. At the high school level, Krizan led the Bobcats to 508 wins placing him 30th on the IHSA all-time career list. He was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in 2010.

White spent 26 seasons as the head boys basketball coach at De La Salle where he accumulated a record of 417-252. He put together eight 20-plus win seasons, won six Chicago Catholic League (CCL) championships, one CCL tournament title and nine regional championships, according to the university. He also spent 24 years in the classroom as an English/Reading teacher, and was nominated for the Golden Apple Award. White is a two-time recipient of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Heart of the School Award winning at Archbishop Weber High School and De La Salle Institute. He was also named the LaSallian Educator of Year, was the Chicago Catholic League Coach of the Year, the Chicago Southtown Coach of the Year and was a recipient of the Tony Lawless Award, the university said. White was named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District Coach of the Year three times in his career and was named the Illinois Athletic Director of the Year, Division I, for the city of Chicago. He is enshrined in four Halls of Fame: Girls Catholic Athletic Conference, Chicago Catholic League, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and the De La Salle Institute.