Coaches Association Newsletter March 2026

North-South Game Coaches Announced
Greg Nossaman, Boys North-South Game Director, and Adam Priefer, Girls North-South Game Director, announced the North-South Game Coaches. To be a nominee to coach in the North-South Game, a coach must be an OHSBCA member, must be nominated by a District Director, and coached in the 2025 District Finals.

The Coaches are Aaron Elwer of Delphos St. John’s, Jamie Kachimark of Toledo St. Francis deSales, Dave Brown of Maysville, Greg Ross of Cincinnati Country Day, Jen Ritch of Mogadore, Dennis Lawler of Hudson, Melissa Knapp of Franklin Furnace Green, and Jamar Mosley of Purcell Marian.

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OHSBCA North-South All-Star Game
The OHSBCA featured event is the Ohio North-South All-Star Game. The Boys have been playing this event since 1958 and the Girls since 1981. The top players and coaches in the state participate in this annual event. 

The player selection is done by the following procedure: The State is divided into 16 Districts, eight southern and eight northern. One player and alternate are selected from each district – One Player from D1, D2, D3, & D4 / One Player from D5, D6 & D7. District must designate the First Player and Second Player. Voting is done at the Local level with each school receiving the number of votes as they have state members in the Association. Twelve players will be select for the North and Twelve players will be select for the South – (1) Each District will have their First Selection represent their District in N-S Game, (2) All Player of the Year will receive automatic selection to the N-S Game.

District Directors from the North will select the North coaches and District Directors from the South will select the South coaches. Nominees can come from all districts. Coaches must be an OHSBCA Member and coached in the District Finals in the previous season. Two (2) Coaches from the North District (District 1 – 8) will be selected to coach the N-S Game for the North and Two (2) Coaches from the South District (District 9 – 16) will be selected to coach the N-S Game for the South. One coach is from D1, D2, D3 & D4 and one coach is from D5, D6, & D7.

The rules for the Ohio North-South All-Star Games are: (1) Two 20-minute halves and a shot clock, (2) 10-minute halftime, (3) Players can foul out (5 fouls), (4) Coaches sub every 5 minutes in the first half, (5) Everyone plays in second half, (6) Coach to win, (7) Half Court Defense is all man-to-man, (8) Full court defense is anything you want to do.

The games will be played on Friday, April 24, 2026, with the Girls game starting at 6:30 pm followed by the Boys game at 8:15 pm. The games will compete at Olentangy Liberty High School.

N-S GAME ACTIVITIES 2026 (Friday)
1.    6:00 pm Girls Game
    A,    Introduction
    B.    Presentation of All-Star by OANG
2.    Halftime of Girls Game
    A.    Team Pictures
    B.    Girls Players of the Year
    C.    Girls Coaches of the Year
    D.    Ms. OHSBCA
    E.    Assistant Girls Coach of the Year
3.    After Girls Game
    A.    MVP of Game
    B.    Scholarship Winner
4.    7:45 pm Boys Game
    A.    Introduction
    B.    Presentation of All-Star by OANG
5.    Halftime of Boys Game
    A.    Team Pictures
    B.    Boys Players of the Year
    C.    Boys Coaches of the Year
    D.    Mr. OHSBCA
    E.    Assistant Coach of the Year
6.    After Second Boys Game
    A.    MVP of Game

OHSBCA Hall of Fame Banquet
The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) is proud to announce the coaches and date for the Hall of Fame Class for 2026. This year, the association is inducting four coaches and one honorary member into the Hall of Fame. The four high school coaches and OHSAA Commissioner being inducted are Dave Close of Stow Munroe Falls, Ed Calo of Westerville South, Jim Rucki of Findlay, Tim Gabbard of Waynesville and honorary member Jerry Snodgrass of Former Commissioner of the OHSAA.

The Induction Ceremony for the Thirty-Seventh Class will be at the Columbus Marriott University Area at 3100 Olentangy River Road in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 5:30 PM. 

Tickets may be obtained by Calling Hall of Fame Director Paul Wayne at 419-261-2547 or by email at wayno1413@aol.com.

State Tournament Winners
Congratulations to the schools and coaches that won State Championships for the 2025-2026 basketball season.
Girls D1 - Kettering Fairmont, Jeremey Finn
Girls D2 - Archbishop Hoban, Pamela Davis
Girls D3 - Chaminade Julienne, Logan Allen
Girls D4 - Laurel - David Meyer
Girls D5 - Portsmouth - Amy Hughes
Girls D6 - St. Henry - Nate Uhlenhake
Girls D7 - Strasburg-Franklin - Tyler Bates
Boys D1 - Cincinnati Princeton - Bryan Wyant
Boys D2 - Massillon Washington - Josh Hose
Boys D3 - Trotwood-Madison - Carl Blanton, Sr.
Boys D4 - Cincinnati Wyoming - Matt Rooks
Boys D5 - Lutheran East - Sam Liggins
Boys D6 - Berlin Hiland - Mark Schlabach
Boys D7 - Delphos St. John’s - Aaron Elwer

John Wooden Legacy Award Winners
The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) would like to announce the recipients of the John Wooden Legacy Award for the 2026 year. This year Dave Close, former head boys’ basketball coach at Stow Munroe Falls High School and Dave Schlabach, former head girls’ basketball coach at Hiland High School are the recipients of the award. Both recipients were honored at half time of Saturday’s first game at their respected state tournaments.

Dave Close started his coaching career at Taylor University (IN) after graduating from the school in 1980. He assisted at Taylor for two years under NAIA Hall of Fame Coach Paul Patterson. Close then accepted a two-year position at Kent State under Jim McDonald while earning his Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology. In 1985, Dave accepted his first head coaching position at Painesville Riverside, serving for three years. In 1988, Close became the head coach at his alma mater, Stow-Munroe Falls High School, where he recently retired after 37 years as a math teacher and a coach.

Close’s head coaching record of 667-274 ranks 11th in wins in the history of OHSAA boys’ basketball. His teams won 15 league, 28 sectional, 7 district, and 2 regional titles. Stow reached the elite eight 5 times, while his 1990 and 1993 teams both reached the OHSAA Final 4. Stow finished 1st in the final AP Ohio Div. I Poll in both 1993 and 1994 and 2nd in the poll in 1992. In 2023, Stow finished 1st in Ohio Div. I in the Martin RPI Computer Poll and 3rd in the final OPSWA poll. His 1993 and 1994 teams reached 10th and 5th, respectively, in the USA Today National Rankings. Those two teams averaged over 92 points per game. 

In his career Close received 39 Coach of the Year honors including five Ohio Coach of the Year awards: the 1993 AP Div. I Coach of the Year, the Coaches Poll Div. I Coach of the Year in both 1993 and 1994, the 2023 OHSBCA Div. I Coach of the Year, and the 2022 National Federation of State High School Associations’ Ohio Coach of the Year. Close coached in numerous all-star games during his career, including three prestigious all-star games: the 1994 National NHSCA East-West All-Star game in Atlanta, the 1995 OHSBCA North-South game at Ohio State and the 2019 Ohio-Kentucky All-Star Game at Thomas More University, KY. 

Close was previously honored by the OHSBCA with both the Paul Walker and Bob Arnzen Awards. In 2015 he received the Akron Beacon Journal’s Clem Caraboolad Award which recognizes service in the school, arena and community. Close was active in the OHSBCA and other coaching associations. In the late 1980s, he was one of the founders of the Greater Akron Basketball Coaches Association and twice served as its president. Close currently serves as a volunteer mentor in the OHSBCA mentorship program which strives to provide guidance to new varsity coaches. 

Dave Schlabach grew up in Holmes County, Ohio, where he developed his passion for basketball under the mentorship of Hall of Fame coach Charlie Huggins. He later had the privilege of coaching alongside the legendary Perry Reese at Hiland High School. For 10 years, Dave coached beside his brother Mark, who led the Hiland boys’ program to two state championships and numerous Final Four appearances. These early experiences shaped Dave’s coaching philosophy and his lifelong commitment to helping young athletes achieve their goals.

Although Dave is a successful business owner, his greatest passion has always been coaching girls’ basketball. Over 30 years, he built the Hiland Lady Hawks into one of the most respected programs in the country, producing six State Championships, five State Runner-ups, 16 Final Four appearances, 19 District Championships, 28 Sectional Titles, and 26 consecutive League Championships. He finished his career with an impressive 689–99 record, achieving an 87.4% winning percentage, a testament to his dedication, discipline, and leadership.

Throughout his career, Dave received numerous accolades, including National Federation Coach of the Year (2000, 2008), National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year (2012), and the honor of coaching in the 2010 McDonald’s All-American Game. Beyond wins and awards, Dave took immense pride in the success of his players: 50 athletes earned college scholarships totaling more than $6 million.
For 23 years, Dave helped create and host the nationally recognized Classic in the Country, an annual event in Berlin, Ohio, that draws thousands of fans and hundreds of college coaches. The Classic has become a highlight of the high school basketball calendar and a lasting contribution to the sport in Holmes County.

Dave’s career embodies the values celebrated by the John Wooden Legacy Award — excellence, character, service, leadership, and a lifelong commitment to the development of young people both on and off the court. His influence reaches far beyond the scoreboard, inspiring players, coaches, and the community alike. Dave Schlabach’s dedication, vision, and passion for basketball have left a legacy that will continue through the players he has mentored, the Classic in the Country, and the next generation of Hiland Lady Hawks under his son’s guidance.

OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award
Each year, all 29 of the Ohio High School Athletic Association sanctioned sports’ coaches associations and allied professional organization can recognize and honor one of their members with an OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award. The recipients are selected by the directors of the respective associations. Individuals selected should reflect the values of sportsmanship, ethics and integrity through all of their professional responsibilities and should be a role model for others.

The recipient of the 2026 State Basketball Coaches Association Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award for girls basketball is Mark Gregory from Convoy Crestview High School

Gregory recently completed his 10th year as the head coach at Convoy Crestview High School, where his teams have won over 180 games, including three conference championships. Between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 seasons, the Knights won21 or more games each of those five season, going 113-21 overall, with two trips to the Division IV state tournament. He coached all four of his daughters at Crestview, with two of them playing on the 2021 state tournament team and two on the 2024 state tournament team.

Before leading the girls team, Gregory spent nine years as an assistant coach with the Crestview boys team. He was on the staff of the 2013-14 29-0 team that won the OHSAA Division IV state championship. He is a graduate of Mt. Vernon High School and played collegiately at Mt. Vernon Nazarene, where he ranks third on the school’s all-time scoring list with over 2,200 points and is fourth in career rebounds. His full-time job is in sales. Marks’ wife, Tammy, has won over 200 games as the girls volleyball coach at Crestview and led the 2022 team to the OHSAA state tournament.

The recipient of the 2026 State Basketball Coaches Association Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award for boys basketball is Terry Rowe from Sugarcreek Garaway High School.

Rowe just completed his 10th year as head coach at Garaway High School, located in Eastern Ohio in Tuscarawas County, and his 26th year overall. He also spent six years each as the head coach of Caldwell High School and Kenton High School boys programs. He also spent two years leading Marlington High School girls team. During his career, his teams have won over 320 games, and his Garaway team have won five district championships and were regional runners-up in both 2018 and 2022.

Rowe grew up in Dundee, Ohio, is a graduate of Garaway and earned his bachelor’s degree from Kent State and his master’s from Dayton. He is an eighth- and ninth grade social studies teacher in the Garaway district. Terry’s wife, Amber, teaches at Berlin Hiland High School and the couple has boys in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, all of whom play basketball in the Garaway program.

Midwest Live Scholastic Event
Once again, the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association will be hosting a Midwest Live Scholastic Event for both the Girls and Boys. These events will be held during the NCAA Division I Recruiting Period in June. The Girls event will be held on June 19 & 20 and the Boys event will be played on June 26-28. The top Girls and Boys players and teams will assemble at Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky, Ohio to participate in this summer tournament. More information will be coming.

Future Elections
In 2026, the following positions are to be elected for:

1. Even Number Districts Directors (3-year term)
2. Girls District Directors of Districts 2 & 3, District 5 & 12, Districts 6 & 7, and Districts 15 & 16 (3-year term)

Qualifications for these POSITIONS is that the candidate must be a member of the OHSBCA. Candidates for all these positions must send a letter of intent to the President of the OHSBCA stating the position in which they will be a candidate for by July 1st. Election Procedures can be found on Page 17 of the January 2026 Constitutional Issue.