HJ0056 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0056 LRB104 20932 MST 34718 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Coach Neil Alexander of Lincoln Community High School on his 1,000th career victory as a boys' basketball coach; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander's impressive career began as a student athlete at Nokomis High School in Montgomery County; he played for four years at Monmouth College, where he was later inducted into the Monmouth College Hall of Fame in 1998; he later earned a master's degree from Western Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander began coaching at Joy Westmer High School, later coaching at Monmouth Yorkwood High School and then at Bushnell-Prairie City High School for 11 years; after his time there, he became the head coach of the boys basketball team at Lincoln Community High School; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander, in his time at Lincoln Community High School, has led his teams to 26 seasons with 20 or more wins, 19 regional championships, five super-sectional appearances, and four Elite Eight state tournament runs in 1999, 2005, 2007, and 2014, with the 2014 run resulting in a state runner-up finish; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander, with his trademark "1-2-2" zone, is the winningest coach in Lincoln Community High School history, credited with more than 800 of his wins during his time at LCHS; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander's boys' basketball team at Lincoln Community High School, the Railers, boasted impressive statistics under his tutelage, with the Railers achieving a record of 26 wins and 6 losses and setting a program record of allowing an average of only 34.2 points per game during the 2022-2023 season; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander has earned the respect of the students, players, and people of Lincoln, with his work as an educator, coach, athletic director, and mentor to his players, and he has forged a culture of accountability, discipline, pride, and putting the team first among his players; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander's influence extends beyond the city of Lincoln; he served as the president of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association from 2017 to 2019, was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004, and received the association's Chuck Rolinski Achievement Award in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander has achieved considerable success as a basketball coach, and he credits his success to his players, assistant coaches, staff, schools, communities, and family; he often praises his wife of 53 years, Denise, his children, Tammy (Scott), Geoff (Kiersten), and Gregg (Nicole), as well as his grandchildren and great granddaughter for their continuous support; and

WHEREAS, Coach Alexander has not only brought immense success for boys' basketball but has also guided generations of players through his coaching and mentorship; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate Coach Neil Alexander of Lincoln Community High School on his 1,000th career victory as a boys' basketball coach, as well as express our gratitude for the impact he has had on generations of young men throughout the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Coach Neil Alexander and Lincoln Community High School as an expression of our greatest esteem and respect.