Coaches

Ed Butkovich

Year Inducted: 1981

Category: Coaches

Schools / Organizations: Mt. Pulaski High School
(Bath) Balyki High School

Biography: There are few things that Mount Pulaski High School’s Ed Butkovich hasn’t done as a basketball coach. Butkovich’s teams went over the 300-win mark in January of 1981. Starting with six seasons at Balyki High School in 1958, Butkovich then moved to Mount Pulaski and had served there for 32 seasons. In 38 seasons as a high school head coach, Ed’s teams earned an impressive 612-398 record. Eight Tomahawk Conference titles, 7 IHSA Regional titles, 4 IHSA Sectional titles, and 3 IHSA Super-sectional victories in four tries are in the Butkovich horde of basketball trophies. Butkovich, who graduated from Canton High School before attending St. Louis University and Western Illinois University, coached the Hilltoppers to the IHSA state crown in 1976, 4^th place in 1977, Elite Eight appearance in 1980 and 2^nd place in 1984. Butkovich has been state coach of the year twice, and six-time IBCA district coach of the year. Butkovich received Western Illinois University’s Alumni Association Achievement Award in 1976. Butkovich, who produced two all-staters, was coach of the Class A North team in the 1979 IBCA All-Star game. In 2014 the Mt. Pulaski HS gym was named for Ed. Ed Butkovich passed away on November 1, 2002 at the age of 67.