The East St. Louis School District administration is preparing to make one of the most important hires in the history of its athletic program. Not since legendary head football coach Bob Shannon and East Side departed ways 20 years ago has the athletic program been faced with such an important decision.
The Flyers’ basketball program is in the process of hiring their third head coach since 2010. The last three coaches at East Side were Ray Coleman, Tony “The Narcisse” Young and interim head coach Hank “let Collinsville play half-court” Harris.
East Side’s basketball teams have been dominant at the lower levels in recent years. Some of the players on the returning varsity roster did not lose a game at those levels.
In 2010, Coleman led the Flyers to the Illinois Class 3A Supersectionals in his last year as head coach. Since Coleman’s departure, the Flyers have not won a regional title, despite an abundance of talent on the team. Coleman still wonders why he was let go after guiding East St. Louis to the Supersectionals.
The street patrol thought that Coleman’s replacement, Tony Young, never bought into the East St. Louis community. He came across as a Chicago hustler to many who had to deal with him on a daily basis.
After Young was relieved of his duties during the 2015 season, in came interim head coach Hank Harris. He looked like John Thompson in the big game against Chaminade, only to coach like Forrest Gump in the loss to Collinsville in the Belleville West regional last month.
The 2014-15 Flyers roster was loaded, and the IHSA bracket was set up for a run toward a state trophy like our neighbors Belleville Althoff, who finished second in the Class 3A state tournament.
Instead it was Normal Community High earning a trip to the Final Four in Peoria a few weeks ago. The Flyers lost to Normal Community by eight points earlier in the season at the Highland Shootout. In that game, East Side was without 6’11” sophomore center Jeremiah Tillman due to an injury.
After Young’s controversial firing, the team seemed to rally around each other, playing more at ease – especially Tillman and guards Reyondus Estes, Anthony Johnson and Marques “Peewee” Chairs. Against Missouri state power Chaminade, the Flyers lost, but they proved that they could play with anybody. What started good turned sour, and now it seems the administration is looking for a new head basketball coach again.
There will be a strong team to coach. Tillman is one of the top 10 players nationally in the class of 2017. His running mate, Estes, is one of the smoothest point guards in the area. Chairs, Karon Randolph, Arthur Carter, Antonio Johnson, Patrick Baxter and Kenny Roberson will all return with varsity experience.
All of this leads me to believe that East St. Louis will be a heavy favorite to make a run next year. So, it’s important to bring in the right guy to keep our talent home. The last coach, Tony Young, had Tillman playing AAU basketball for MoKan in Kansas.
Someone who really had Tillman’s interests at heart introduced his mom to Rich Gray and Tim Holloway of the St. Louis Eagles. The Eagles are a prestigious NIKE Program that has produced an abundance of talent, including current and former NBA players Brad Beal, David Lee, Larry Hughes, Jahidi White, Loren Woods, Tyler Hansbrough and former East St . Louis Flyers’ great DeShawn Munson.
Now, Tillman is playing with the St. Louis Eagles, forming one of the most talented front lines in the Nike EYBL this summer with the Chaminade duo of 6’8” Tyler Cook and 6’9” Jayson Tatum, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2016.
I say this to the decision-makers: Get it right this time for the sake of all the kids in the program.
