Why this former hoops coach was a special guest at the Memorial Health Championship
Former area boys basketball coach Mike Kaczmarz found a pleasant respite at the Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS on Friday.
He was feted as a special guest at the No. 18 hole after days and months on the mend through the title sponsor, the Memorial Health System in Springfield.
A bout of pneumonia led to a broken left femur following a fall on January 18. He underwent surgery a couple of days later and has been undergoing therapy ever since at Memorial.
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He currently visits Memorial twice a week for outpatient therapy but can move on his own with a walker.
“It's fun just to sit out here and watch these kids play,” said Kaczmarz, accompanied by his wife, Patty Schuh. “They're a lot better golfers than I'll ever be.”
The perfect treat
Kaczmarz, or Coach Kaz, was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005 after an extensive coaching career.
That included stints at Virden, Chicago St. Francis de Sales, Sacred Heart-Griffin and Buffalo Tri-City.
He guided St. Francis de Sales to second place in the Class AA state finals in 1988. That particular group featured Mr. Basketball of Illinois award winner, Eric Anderson.
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Tri-City also last won a regional title under Kaczmarz back in 1996. He retired there in 2004.
The Chicago-area native additionally coached golf over that time.
“I did but mostly that was because I could drive the bus and get them to the tournament on time,” Kaczmarz jested.
He played golf and basketball at Blackburn College before graduating in 1972 and has four hole-in-ones to his name. Schuh said she witnessed one herself on the short par-3 No. 3 at the nearby Brookhills Golf Club.
But Kaczmarz didn’t harbor any illusions of grandeur.
“I’m not good, I’m just average,” Kaczmarz responded.
Kaczmarz and Schuh certainly appreciated the talent that the Korn Ferry Tour had to offer. It was the perfect treat, an idea facilitated by Dr. Nicole Florence.
Schuh said she hopes more people will come out to see it in the future — not to mention more cooperative weather.
“This is quality entertainment and to be able to watch golfers of this caliber here in Springfield is pretty amazing,” Schuh said.
Contact Bill Welt: 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Memorial Health Championship fetes former hoops coach as special guest
