Players

Russell E. Coleman

Year Inducted: 1992

Category: Players

Schools / Organizations:
Centralia High School
Kaskaskia Community College
Loyola University-Chicago

Biography:  Russell Coleman was in integral part of Centralia High School’s fabled basketball history during the 1960-61 school year.  The Orphans won 29 straight games.  They were the Centralia Holiday Tournament Champions, the Salem Invitational Tournament Champions, and won the South Seven Conference Championship.  Coloeman and the Orphans won the IHSA Regional and Sectional Championships before running into the eventual state champions, Collinsville HS and their stars Bogie Redmon, Fred Riddle, and Bob Basola.  Centralia lost one of the great super-sectional games ever by a score of 66-64.  

Russell was acknowledged as an all-state player by several media.  He continued his career at Kaskaskia Community College in 1963-64.  He was a member of the Southern Illinois Community College Conference Champions and the NJCAA state champions.  Kaskaskia placed 8th in the NJCAA national finals.  

Coleman was the second leading scorer in the nation in 1963 with a 32.4 ppg average.  He was the leading scorer in the nation in 1964.  His 2-year average was 33.2 ppg.  He set the single game scoring record for Kaskaskia with 62 points.  He earned SICC honors twice, NJCAA all-state honrs twice and was named to the 1964 NJCAA All-American Team as well as the 1964 Press Box Magazine All American Team.

Russell accepted a scholarship to Loyola University-Chicago where he sustained a back injury and was unable to compete. He would have been a junior in the 1964-65 season.

Russell E. Coleman died on June 25, 2016 at the age of 73.