Chicago basketball icon and Illinois' all-time winningest high school basketball coach, Gene Pingatore, passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 83.
At the helm of St. Joseph for 50 seasons -- coaching the team as recently as last weekend's Riverside-Brookfield Shootout -- Pingatore's legacy and impact in the state of Illinois is second to none. Over 50 years, Pingatore won two state titles (1999, 2005), won a state-record 1,035 games and coached dozens of future Division I players, coaches and pros.
But, perhaps most importantly, it's tough to envision another run like Gene Pingatore's in the modern era. In a current climate where coaches and administrations clash and results mean more than ever, it might be impossible for one coach to be in one place for 50 straight seasons and have such success.
Starting his career at St. Joseph in 1969, Pingatore went to six state finals, won 13 sectionals and made state finals appearances in four different decades spanning 38 overall years. Pingatore also coached impact talent like McDonald's All-Americans Isiah Thomas, Daryl Thomas and Daryl Cunningham. Even in his final 15 years of coaching, Pingatore developed quality players such as Evan Turner, Demetri McCamey, Glynn Watson, Jordan Ash and Nick Rakocevic were all high-major recruits.
Producing 32 20-win seasons over 50 years, Pingatore had some dominant stretches in the area as a coach. During the '80s, St. Joe's won six sectional titles over a seven-year stretch from 1982 through 1988. The stretch helped the well-established Pingatore become an iconic area coach.
It also helped lead to the classic basketball documentary "Hoop Dreams".
Pingatore was certainly memorable in the film -- which centered around William Gates and Arthur Agee's journey through Pingatore's program at St. Joseph. The film is known worldwide and considered one of the most iconic documentaries of all-time. It's another reason why Pingatore's unique and storied tenure will always have a special showcase compared to other coaches.
Because of his longevity, success and overall presence in the Chicagoland basketball scene, Pingatore left a massive mark on the area even until his death this week. A young generation of area coaches continued to seek his guidance for running programs, practices or gameplans.
The Chargers have some talented young players as Pingatore continued to develop talent in his final seasons.
Even recently, Pingatore continued to be an effective coach in his later years. One of Pingatore's finest coaching jobs might have been in 2015-16. At the age of 79, with a freshman point guard in Marquise Walker, and only one senior on the roster in Nick Rakocevic, St. Joseph surprisingly made it to Peoria and finished fourth in the state -- a season after winning a state title.
The future of a proud program remains a mystery without Pingatore's half-century presence. It's really hard to even envision St. Joseph basketball without Pingatore's presence on the sidelines.
But Pingatore's ability to connect with different generations of kids for 50 years helped him leave an unforgettable legacy in Illinois. And that unique impact will last in the area for decades to come.