The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association is proud to announce that Jack Van Reeth of West Holmes High School is the recipient of the 1997 Paul Walker Award. The Paul Walker Award is presented annually by the OHSBCA to an active coaching member of the association who has made significant contributions to high school basketball. The award is named in honor of the late Paul Walker, the long time coach of Middletown High School. At the time of his retirement, he had the most wins as a boys basketball coach in Ohio High School Basketball history.

Jack Van Reeth has been a head basketball coach for 40 years in the state of Ohio.  He has now won 703 games while only losing 189.  Jack was a head boys basketball coach for 26 years (1957-1983) and had a won-loss record of 386-159.  He coached the West Holmes boys’ team in 1982-83 season and finished 18-5.  For the 1983-84 season, he became the West Holmes Head Girls Basketball Coach and immediately had three consecutive 28-0 seasons while winning three consecutive Girls State Championships.

He has amassed a girls won-loss record of 317-30.  In his 40 seasons, Coach Van Reeth has won 31 League Titles, 24 Sectionals, 11 Districts, 6 Regionals, and 4 State Basketball Championships.

He won a boys state championship in 1962-63 at Dresden High School with a record of 26-2.  He was the Ohio Coach of the Year in 1974, 1984, 1985, and 1986.  He began his coaching career at Pennsville High School in 1957 and from there he spent one year at Frazeysburg, four years at Dresden, two at Ontario, four at River View, four at West Holmes, two at Strasburg, then seven years as the boys coach at West Holmes.  He has spent the last 14 years as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at West Holmes High School.