Career Coaches

Leon Kellar

Year Inducted: 2003

Category: Career Coaches

Schools / Organizations:
Octavia High School
(Colfax) Ridgeview High School

Biography:

Leon Kellar was on the bench for 737 victories during his 25-year tenure as a junior varsity or varsity assistant coach at Octavia and (Colfax) Ridgeview High Schools. His JV teams compiled a 329-162 record for a 65 percent winning clip. Only twice during his career as JV coach did his teams fail to finish above .500. As a varsity assistant coach, Kellar helped five different coaches post a 408-223 record, which also computed to 65 percent success. He enjoyed being associated with 20 teams which posted winning campaigns.

He worked under Don Carlson, Lou Hagenbruch, Gale Thoroman, John Dolan and his son Rodney, which was one of the biggest highlights of his career. Even though he had the opportunity to become a head varsity coach Leon Kellar chose to stay at the younger class levels.

He also served for 30-plus years at Octavia and Ridgeview as head varsity football and track coach, winning an IHSA Class A Girls’ Track Championship at Ridgeview in 1991, before retiring from coaching and teaching. He was inducted into the Bloomington-Normal Officials Hall of Fame in 2004. Kellar passed away on March 11, 2015 at 80, just hours after his son Rodney’s Ridgeview team advanced to the IHSA Class 1A state finals, where they finished in third place.