Coaches

Charles VanCleave

Year Inducted: 1988

Category: Coaches

Schools / Organizations: Olney High School

Biography: Charles VanCleave coached basketball at Olney High School for 21 years beginning in 1913. He also spent an additional eight as the school’s athletic director. No records are available from his final 1933-34 team in yearbooks or newspapers. With that season outstanding, VanCleave is credited with a career record of 333 wins and 147 losses. VanCleave’s 1927-28 team went 25-2 for his best record. VanCleave’s 1920 team was 23-6 and defeated Champaign 42-24 and Galesburg 32-21 in the state tournament before falling 37-18 to Canton in the semifinals and 29-20 to Marion in the third place game. That 1920 team boasted the tallest player ever to make an All-Tourney team at that time in 6-foot-4 Leland Stillwell. In 1930, VanCleave’s 33-6 team was again at Champaign where it defeated Carbondale 21-18 before losing to Bloomington 33-23 in the semifinals and then earning third place with a 27-18 defeat of Beardstown.  Charles was inducted posthumously.