Advertisement

HS basketball: Coolman set to be the new boys coach at Penn

scott davidson, south bend tribune
·2 min read
Valparaiso head coach Barak Coolman calls out a play during the Elkhart Memorial vs. Valparaiso regional semifinal basketball game at Michigan City High School Saturday, March 10, 2018. Tribune Photo/MICHAEL CATERINA
Valparaiso head coach Barak Coolman calls out a play during the Elkhart Memorial vs. Valparaiso regional semifinal basketball game at Michigan City High School Saturday, March 10, 2018. Tribune Photo/MICHAEL CATERINA

Barak Coolman calls Al Rhodes one of his "mentors" as a basketball coach.

He will now be replacing his mentor as a coach too.

Coolman, who spent the past eight seasons as the Valparaiso High School boys basketball coach, reportedly will replace Rhodes at Penn High School.

Noie column: Thanks to long-time high school boys basketball coach Al Rhodes for a job well done

The news, which has not been officially confirmed by Penn, was first reported Friday night on Twitter by sportswriter Jim Peters at The LaPorte County Herald Dispatch.

Rhodes retired in April after spending the past 15 seasons at Penn. Rhodes, who graduated from Penn in 1970, went 239-128 at his alma matter. Rhodes was 693-320 overall in 42 prep seasons, including stops at Warsaw, Logansport and Fort Wayne Northrop. He won a state title at Warsaw in 1984 and is a Hall of Famer.

Coolman, a Fort Wayne native, was 151-56 in eight seasons at Valpo. The former Bethel College player is 253-118 in 15 prep seasons overall after coaching at Fort Wayne Northrop for seven years prior to coming to Valpo.

Coolman has won six sectional titles overall and had six 20-win seasons. He won 20 or more games five times at Valpo.

Three of the four coaches at the 2018 Class 4A Michigan City regional are Bethel College graduates and former players — from left, Kyle Sears (Elkhart Memorial), Eric Brand (Riley) and Barak Coolman (Valparaiso). Photo provided by Mike Lightfoot
Three of the four coaches at the 2018 Class 4A Michigan City regional are Bethel College graduates and former players — from left, Kyle Sears (Elkhart Memorial), Eric Brand (Riley) and Barak Coolman (Valparaiso). Photo provided by Mike Lightfoot

More: Former Bethel players now coaching high school turn basketball regional into a reunion

Valparaiso finished 13-14 this past season, losing to Chesterton 66-50 in the sectional. The Vikings also lost 87-42 to Penn this past season.

Penn went 28-2 this past season and lost 58-57 to Kokomo in the North Semistate title game. The Kingsmen's only other loss was to undefeated Ben Davis, which beat Kokomo to win the Class 4A state championship. Penn had five senior starters this past season, led by Notre Dame recruit and Mr. Basketball Markus Burton. Burton led the state in scoring at 30 ppg. All five senior starters plan to play in college next season.

The combined Penn boys basketball program overall went 70-3 in 2022-23. The JV team finished 20-1 and the freshman team was 22-0 this past year.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Barak Coolman is leaving Valparaiso to take over at Penn