John A. Logan Hoops Coach Retires

Logan hoop coach, Imhoff, calls it quits;

was all-time wins leader at JALC with 337

BY JOHN D. HOMAN

Logan Media Services

CARTERVILLE – John A. Logan men’s basketball coach Mark Imhoff announced his retirement Tuesday, effective the end of this month.

Courtesy: John A. Logan College

Imhoff, 55, cited mainly business reasons for making his decision to step away from his longtime post. He compiled an overall record of 337-200 over the last 17 years, the most in school history.

Under his leadership, the Volunteers captured two Great Rivers Athletic Conference titles (2007 and 2010) and two Region 24 championships (1999 and 2000).

A Murphysboro native, Imhoff previously served as an assistant to Tom Ashman for 10 years at Logan.

"Obviously, there are a number of factors involved in making a decision to retire," Imhoff said. "For me, I'm a bubble guy in this state pension system and we are all aware that the system has some serious uncertainties for the future.

"I'm 32 years involved in this system and have reached a point in time where I could retire."

Imhoff said he spent many months weighing the pros and cons of retirement.

"This is not something you decide in a week to 10 days. There has been some thought put into this," he said. "I feel very fortunate to say I got to make a career out of the game of basketball. My father was a coach and it's all I ever wanted to do, too. And to do it for 32 years...well, as I said, I have been very fortunate."

Imhoff said he will undoubtedly go through coaching withdrawals.

"Yeah, but that would come about whether I leave today or 10 years from today. I think the timing is right for me to step down."

Imhoff said the passion to coach still burns within him, which is why he would not rule out the possibility of coaching elsewhere sometime down the road.

"You don't want to back yourself into a corner, so you never say never, right? Believe me, that fire is not going to subside immediately. It won't because coaching is very competitive. It gets in your blood."

Imhoff said he is proud of the program's successes in his 27 years with the Logan program.

"Without a doubt," he said. "I have too much invested with this program not to be proud. When I inherited the team from Coach Ashman more than 17 years ago, I inherited a strong program. And that was motivation enough for me to keep it that way. I would like to think that our program is respected around the country because of the way we went about business.

"I know that I can leave with the peace of mind that this program will continue to prosper after I leave," Imhoff said. "It also means a lot to me that John A. Logan College basketball has been influenced by Murphysboro Red Devil basketball for the past 30-plus years."

Both Ashman and Imhoff are Murphysboro High grads.

Imhoff said he will miss the associations he has developed over the years with fellow coaches, former players, students and staff.

"When I look back on my experience here, I am forever indebted to Coach Ashman for giving me the opportunity to be a part of his program and for his support, as well as then athletic director, John Sala, and then later Jerry (current athletic director, Halstead), who I also consider a dear friend.

"I've had the opportunity to work with some fabulous people at Logan," Imhoff said. "There's a reason why the school has prospered over the years. It's because of the people that work there who have put the time in to make the college the success that it is today.

"As for the kids, there have been hundreds of them," Imhoff said. "Again, I have been fortunate to have some outstanding young men come through here, who bought into our system of doing things, and have taken that knowledge to become better basketball players at the next level, and more important, productive members of society."

JALC Athletic Director Jerry Halstead said he will indeed miss having Imhoff around to lead the basketball program.

"He's been the mainstay here for years, a solid coach and employee. It's certainly going to be different without him."

Halstead said Imhoff's decision to retire had been discussed for some time.

"It's something we've talked about for the last eight months or so. Mark was ready for last season to end. He was getting to the end of the candle so to speak and I think the financial ramifications of it all with the state made his decision to retire that much easier. There comes a time with everyone when it's time to quit. And at the end of the day, I think Mark knew it was time for him."

Halstead said he has already begun fielding queries from coaches about the open position and hopes that a hiring committee will be in place within just a matter of days.

"We're in the middle of recruiting season here with basketball, so there is a lot of work to be done. Zach (assistant coach, Carpenter) will have to be the guy for a month or so until we get a new head coach."

This year marks the second year in a row that Logan has had a disruption in the men's basketball program (assistant Kyle Smithpeters was hired last summer to serve on the staff at Missouri State University).

"We're losing a good one in Mark, but we'll just have to make the best of it," Halstead said. 

Imhoff said he has no new business ventures to attend to, no special trips to make, no immediate plans.

"Just golf and cigars for now," he joked.