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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize and celebrate the birthdate
4of the late Gene "Coach Ping" Pingatore on October 25, 2023;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Gene Pingatore was born on October 25, 1936 and
7passed away on June 26, 2019; he was raised in Cicero; he
8graduated from St. Mel's High School in 1954; he earned his
9Bachelor of Arts in History from Loyola University of Los
10Angeles, known today as Loyola Marymount University, in 1958;
11and
 
12    WHEREAS, Following his college graduation, Gene Pingatore
13returned home and began working as a freshman boys basketball
14coach at St. Joseph High School in Westchester in 1960, the
15school's first academic year; he became the head varsity coach
16of the St. Joseph High School boys basketball team, the
17Chargers, in 1969; he served as head coach for 51 years and was
18the most successful basketball coach in Illinois High School
19Association (IHSA) history; he further served the school in a
20number of roles, including as a social studies teacher, the
21director of recruitment, the assistant principal, the dean of
22students, the director of development, the acting principal,
23the director of building and grounds, the special events

 

 

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1coordinator, and the alumni director; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Under Gene Pingatore's guidance, the St. Joseph
3High School boys basketball team was one of the best in the
4State, winning 34 regional championships and 13 sectionals,
5advancing to the state finals six times, and winning two state
6championships, Class 2A in 1999 and Class 3A in 2015; he
7possessed a record of 1,035-383, becoming the only coach in
8Illinois to accomplish 1,000 wins, making him one of only 15
9coaches in the nation; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Gene Pingatore received many accolades for his
11work, including being named Educator of the Year by the
12Illinois State Crime Commission/Police Athletic League of
13Illinois in 2008, Coach of the West for the McDonald
14All-American Game in Chicago in 2011, Coach of the Year by the
15Central Officials Association in 2016, and Coach of the Year
16by Pioneer Press and Suburban Life in 1978, 1979, and 1999, and
17again by Suburban Life in 1981, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999,
18and 2004; he also received the Ellie Hasan Award from the
19Central Officials Association in 2005, the De La Salle Award
20for Service and Leadership in the Community from Lewis
21University in 2010, and the 2018 Morgan Wootten Award for
22Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball from
23the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Gene Pingatore was affectionately known as "Coach
2Ping", and he became nationally known for his starring role in
3the critically acclaimed 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams; his
4leadership and guidance positively impacted an immeasurable
5number of students; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Gene Pingatore coached many talented student
7athletes who played professionally in the U.S. and abroad,
8including Indiana All-American and NBA's Isiah Thomas, Indiana
9All-American Daryl Thomas who played in Europe, Kansas State
10All-American and CBA's Deryl Cunningham who played in Europe,
11Clifford Scales who played in Finland, Carl Hayes who played
12in Europe, Marty Clark who played in South America, NBA's Amal
13McCaskill, Gerald Eaker who played in Europe and Mexico,
14Marlon London who played in Europe and Latin America, Brandon
15Watkins who played in Europe, and 2010 College Player of the
16Year and NBA's Evan Turner, as well as Dallas Cowboys and
17Chicago Bears offensive lineman Andy Fredrick and Chicago
18Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Gene Pingatore also coached several players who
20led rich collegiate careers, including Robert Morris' Kenny
21Williams, Marquette's Tony Reeder, University of Illinois at
22Chicago's Tony Freeman, Northern Illinois' Brian Molis,
23Marquette's William Gates, Dayton's Rodney Horton, Bowling
24Green's Jabari Mattox, Iowa and Southern Illinois' Tony

 

 

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1Freeman Jr., Notre Dame's Jonathan Peoples, Illinois' Demetri
2McCamey, Nebraska's Glynn Watson, Northwestern's Jordan Ash,
3and University of Southern California's Nick Rakocevic; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Gene Pingatore was the son of the late Frank and
5Annette Pingatore; the brother of the late Sandra Pingatore;
6the father of Lisa; the grandfather of Erin, Kelli, and Jack;
7the fiance of Jill Oakley; the uncle of Frank, Nick, and the
8late Robert; and the great-uncle, godfather, cousin, and
9friend of many; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
11HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12we declare October 25, 2023 as Gene "Coach Ping" Pingatore Day
13in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That we remember the legacy Gene Pingatore
15created and the many lives he touched during his lifetime; and
16be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented to the family of Gene Pingatore as an expression of
19our esteem and respect.