Four to receive special awards from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association
Bradley, Smiley, Higdon and Abdullah to be honored for contributions to basketball programs over the years
Four Indiana high school coaches will receive special awards from the Indiana Basketball Association in 2021.
Lawrenceburg boys basketball assistant coach Steve Bradley and Brownsburg girls head coach Debbie Smiley each will be recognized with a Point Guard College Transformational Coach Award as presented by the IBCA. In addition, Edinburgh boys basketball assistant Jim Higdon and Penn girls basketball assistant Hassan Abdullah will receive awards as IBCA Assistant Coaches of the Year.
This is the fifth year for the PGC Transformation Coach Awards, which are presented to coaches who have impacted the lives of their players and fellow coaches at their school and within their community. The recipients are coaches who are respected by their players and fellow coaches for their dedication, positive approach and integrity on and off the court. Point Guard College is a corporate partner of the IBCA.
This is the fourth year that the IBCA is recognizing assistant coaches with an award. The awards are going to two coaches who have contributed in a significant way to their respective schools' athletic programs with many years of service.
These awards will be presented at the IBCA's one-day, in-person clinic on Oct. 16 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. The IBCA also will offer a "virtual clinic" in 2021 with video presentations by the IBCA District Coaches of the Year -- six boys coaches and six girls coaches -- available online beginning April 23.
Previous PGC Transformational Coach Awards have gone to Gary Cook of North Decatur in 2017; Gary West's Chris Buggs and Switzerland County's Adam Dennis in 2018; John Glenn's Travis Hannah in 2019; and Columbus North's RaNae Isaak and Speedway's Jim Merlie in 2020.
Previous IBCA Assistant Coach of the Year honors have gone to Union County's Roger Bowling in 2018; Jeffersonville's Clark Miles and Crawfordsville's Danny Pierce in 2019; and North Putnam's Jim Brothers and Hamilton Heights' J.R. Moffatt in 2020.
Information on the four coaches to be honored for 2021 follows.
Transformational Coach: Steve Bradley, Lawrenceburg boys' assistant
Steve Bradley has had a major impact on his players over the years at Lawrenceburg High School, assisting in the boys’ basketball program since 1995 while also working as a probation officer for the past 30 years.
Bradley has been the Tigers’ freshman boys’ basketball coach for 26 seasons.
“Steve’s greatest quality is that he always finds a way for every player to help the team,” said Brad Cutter, the Tigers’ varsity coach and one of several people to nominate Bradley for the Point Guard College Transformational Coach Award as presented by the IBCA.
“Steve is great at coaching each player individually and focusing on how to make it a positive experience for them. His positive approach and love for coaching our student-athletes is contagious. He is great at finding the good things from a defeat and the good things from a player who may not be able to contribute as much as another.”
East Central varsity boys’ basketball coach David Disbro praised Bradley.
“Steve has been a loyal assistant to at least four head coaches,” said Disbro, who noted their relationship dates nearly 40 years to when Bradley played at Lawrenceburg and Disbro played at rival South Dearborn. “He not only coaches the freshman team but also is a varsity assistant who is one of the best scouts in southeastern Indiana. There have been many years that I think we should give Steve an 'East Central letter' because he sees us play so often. He has become a good friend whom I admire.”
Bradley said he made a conscious decision about 18 years ago to "not put an emphasis on winning" and simply make the experience of playing freshman basketball as positive as possible by teaching values, fundamentals and having fun.
“Coincidentally, I have not had a losing season since I ‘de-emphasized’ winning,” Bradley said. “I recognized that more than half the players on freshman rosters never may take a shot in a varsity basketball game. Thus, the experience needs to be fun and worthwhile.”
In the community, Bradley has 30 years experience as a probation officer for the Dearborn and Ohio County Circuit Court Probation Department.
Nick Scalf, another Lawrenceburg coach, mentioned how Bradley has taught life skills that carry beyond the court.
“Steve has deal with many situations with players over the years during a crucial stage of their development as young men and handled these situations with calmness, respect, wisdom and experience,” Scalf said. “I truly feel he has made a lasting impact on their lives, and they would tell you the same. As a probation officer, he also has made an amazing impact on numerous lives in our community. He has incredible people skills, and he deals with situations with an amazing calmness and class.”
Aaron Cornett, a former Lawrenceburg athlete and now a parent of current Lawrenceburg athletes, concurred.
“Coach Bradley has impacted multiple generations of student-athletes in our community,” Cornett said. “As a 16-year-old, I noticed the intensity and competitiveness that he brought to our practices. It was easy to see how he cared for the team by pushing each player to become better through hard work and positive reinforcement.
“The experience that each of my boys have had playing for him has been similar. I have seen their enjoyment of the game increase. More importantly, their confidence on and off the court has grown as well. The community of Lawrenceburg and the hundreds of young men he has coached have benefited from him in countless ways that carry on long after their playing days have ended.”
Ryan Knigga, another Tigers’ coach, and Joe Vogelgesang, a former Lawrenceburg athletic director and coach, echoed those thoughts.
“Coach Bradley and his family have been members of the Lawrenceburg community for more than 40 years,” Knigga said. “He is a stakeholder in our community and someone who is respected by all.”
Vogelgesang used the words loyalty, consistency and integrity to describe Bradley.
“I have worked in Lawrenceburg schools for 23 years, and coach Bradley has been a staple of the staff for all those years and longer,” Vogelgesang said.
“He has a deep caring for all the student-athletes and he also has worked in the probation office with those struggling to correct their ways to so they can lead a life as a productive citizen.”
Bradley drew an analogy from his coaching philosophy to his professional philosophy.
“My approach to coaching basketball has been paralleled by my approach supervising people who are on probation,” he said. “It is not good enough to simply ‘follow the rules.’ My people need to improve their lives and be successful.”
A 1983 graduate of Lawrenceburg, Bradley earned two letters in basketball, two letters in football, four letters in golf and one letter in baseball. He was all-conference in basketball once and all-conference in golf three times.
He matriculated to Davidson College, earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1987. He later earned a master’s degree in kinesiology and sports management from Indiana University in 1989. At Davidson, he played four years of football, starting off-and-on at quarterback over his last three seasons and still is 10th on David’s career list for completions.
Bradley has been the freshman boys’ basketball coach at Lawrenceburg from 1995 to the present, some seasons also serving as a varsity assistant. He also was an assistant football coach from 1987-97 and again from 2005-10. Professionally, Bradley began work for as a probation officer in 1991. He became the chief probation officer for that office in 1993, a position he has held for 28 years.
Bradley, Smiley, Higdon and Abdullah to be honored for contributions to basketball programs over the years
Four Indiana high school coaches will receive special awards from the Indiana Basketball Association in 2021.
Lawrenceburg boys basketball assistant coach Steve Bradley and Brownsburg girls head coach Debbie Smiley each will be recognized with a Point Guard College Transformational Coach Award as presented by the IBCA. In addition, Edinburgh boys basketball assistant Jim Higdon and Penn girls basketball assistant Hassan Abdullah will receive awards as IBCA Assistant Coaches of the Year.
This is the fifth year for the PGC Transformation Coach Awards, which are presented to coaches who have impacted the lives of their players and fellow coaches at their school and within their community. The recipients are coaches who are respected by their players and fellow coaches for their dedication, positive approach and integrity on and off the court. Point Guard College is a corporate partner of the IBCA.
This is the fourth year that the IBCA is recognizing assistant coaches with an award. The awards are going to two coaches who have contributed in a significant way to their respective schools' athletic programs with many years of service.
These awards will be presented at the IBCA's one-day, in-person clinic on Oct. 16 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. The IBCA also will offer a "virtual clinic" in 2021 with video presentations by the IBCA District Coaches of the Year -- six boys coaches and six girls coaches -- available online beginning April 23.
Previous PGC Transformational Coach Awards have gone to Gary Cook of North Decatur in 2017; Gary West's Chris Buggs and Switzerland County's Adam Dennis in 2018; John Glenn's Travis Hannah in 2019; and Columbus North's RaNae Isaak and Speedway's Jim Merlie in 2020.
Previous IBCA Assistant Coach of the Year honors have gone to Union County's Roger Bowling in 2018; Jeffersonville's Clark Miles and Crawfordsville's Danny Pierce in 2019; and North Putnam's Jim Brothers and Hamilton Heights' J.R. Moffatt in 2020.
Information on the four coaches to be honored for 2021 follows.
Transformational Coach: Steve Bradley, Lawrenceburg boys' assistant
Steve Bradley has had a major impact on his players over the years at Lawrenceburg High School, assisting in the boys’ basketball program since 1995 while also working as a probation officer for the past 30 years.
Bradley has been the Tigers’ freshman boys’ basketball coach for 26 seasons.
“Steve’s greatest quality is that he always finds a way for every player to help the team,” said Brad Cutter, the Tigers’ varsity coach and one of several people to nominate Bradley for the Point Guard College Transformational Coach Award as presented by the IBCA.
“Steve is great at coaching each player individually and focusing on how to make it a positive experience for them. His positive approach and love for coaching our student-athletes is contagious. He is great at finding the good things from a defeat and the good things from a player who may not be able to contribute as much as another.”
East Central varsity boys’ basketball coach David Disbro praised Bradley.
“Steve has been a loyal assistant to at least four head coaches,” said Disbro, who noted their relationship dates nearly 40 years to when Bradley played at Lawrenceburg and Disbro played at rival South Dearborn. “He not only coaches the freshman team but also is a varsity assistant who is one of the best scouts in southeastern Indiana. There have been many years that I think we should give Steve an 'East Central letter' because he sees us play so often. He has become a good friend whom I admire.”
Bradley said he made a conscious decision about 18 years ago to "not put an emphasis on winning" and simply make the experience of playing freshman basketball as positive as possible by teaching values, fundamentals and having fun.
“Coincidentally, I have not had a losing season since I ‘de-emphasized’ winning,” Bradley said. “I recognized that more than half the players on freshman rosters never may take a shot in a varsity basketball game. Thus, the experience needs to be fun and worthwhile.”
In the community, Bradley has 30 years experience as a probation officer for the Dearborn and Ohio County Circuit Court Probation Department.
Nick Scalf, another Lawrenceburg coach, mentioned how Bradley has taught life skills that carry beyond the court.
“Steve has deal with many situations with players over the years during a crucial stage of their development as young men and handled these situations with calmness, respect, wisdom and experience,” Scalf said. “I truly feel he has made a lasting impact on their lives, and they would tell you the same. As a probation officer, he also has made an amazing impact on numerous lives in our community. He has incredible people skills, and he deals with situations with an amazing calmness and class.”
Aaron Cornett, a former Lawrenceburg athlete and now a parent of current Lawrenceburg athletes, concurred.
“Coach Bradley has impacted multiple generations of student-athletes in our community,” Cornett said. “As a 16-year-old, I noticed the intensity and competitiveness that he brought to our practices. It was easy to see how he cared for the team by pushing each player to become better through hard work and positive reinforcement.
“The experience that each of my boys have had playing for him has been similar. I have seen their enjoyment of the game increase. More importantly, their confidence on and off the court has grown as well. The community of Lawrenceburg and the hundreds of young men he has coached have benefited from him in countless ways that carry on long after their playing days have ended.”
Ryan Knigga, another Tigers’ coach, and Joe Vogelgesang, a former Lawrenceburg athletic director and coach, echoed those thoughts.
“Coach Bradley and his family have been members of the Lawrenceburg community for more than 40 years,” Knigga said. “He is a stakeholder in our community and someone who is respected by all.”
Vogelgesang used the words loyalty, consistency and integrity to describe Bradley.
“I have worked in Lawrenceburg schools for 23 years, and coach Bradley has been a staple of the staff for all those years and longer,” Vogelgesang said.
“He has a deep caring for all the student-athletes and he also has worked in the probation office with those struggling to correct their ways to so they can lead a life as a productive citizen.”
Bradley drew an analogy from his coaching philosophy to his professional philosophy.
“My approach to coaching basketball has been paralleled by my approach supervising people who are on probation,” he said. “It is not good enough to simply ‘follow the rules.’ My people need to improve their lives and be successful.”
A 1983 graduate of Lawrenceburg, Bradley earned two letters in basketball, two letters in football, four letters in golf and one letter in baseball. He was all-conference in basketball once and all-conference in golf three times.
He matriculated to Davidson College, earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1987. He later earned a master’s degree in kinesiology and sports management from Indiana University in 1989. At Davidson, he played four years of football, starting off-and-on at quarterback over his last three seasons and still is 10th on David’s career list for completions.
Bradley has been the freshman boys’ basketball coach at Lawrenceburg from 1995 to the present, some seasons also serving as a varsity assistant. He also was an assistant football coach from 1987-97 and again from 2005-10. Professionally, Bradley began work for as a probation officer in 1991. He became the chief probation officer for that office in 1993, a position he has held for 28 years.
