Willie Cox has helped develop young women who aspired to college athletics scholarships and young men who became NBA stars. But, as the 20-year veteran of college and high school basketball joins Robin Pingetons staff for Illinois State University womens basketball, he brings an individualized perspective on coaching and working with young people that most likely has been the cornerstone of his long record of success.
It is the coachs responsibility to the athletes to help them reach their full potential both individually and as part of a team, Cox wrote. A coach who does not make the necessary demands toward achieving that responsibility is not doing the job. A working relationship must be established among all parties concerned.
The 2000 and 2001 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year at Peoria Central High School led those two teams to IHSA State Tournaments played at Redbird Arena. He also established and led Peorias highly-successful girls amateur basketball program Push the Rock, helping seven of his high school and AAU players earn college athletics scholarships over the past five years, including his own daughter, Anissa, who plays softball at Grambling State.
Coxs experiences as a parent add to his value as the Redbirds recruiting coordinator.
Willie has been part of recruiting from every side, said Pingeton. As a college recruiter, high school coach with talent and as a parent, he has seen the whole picture. He is a highly-successful and well-connected high school and AAU coach in Illinois. Those things are big plusses for Illinois State.
His basketball experience includes coaching Hersey Hawkins and Jim Les, both future NBA stars, while on the Bradley mens basketball staff in the 1980s. Cox also was an assistant in the Loyola of Chicago mens program from 1989 to 1993.
After 10 years in college mens basketball, Cox returned to his hometown of Peoria and got involved in girls basketball in 1993. Just three years later, his 14 & under and 16 & under teams won American Youth Basketball Tournament national titles in the same year, 1996.
I got out of college coaching because my youngest daughter (Anissa) enjoyed playing sports and I wanted to coach and teach my daughter, said Cox. Now, Im happy to be part of Robins staff. Illinois States great situation with the university, the facilities and Robins passion for the game made this the right thing to do.
Along with his basketball coaching experience, Cox has implemented his diverse leadership talents in other areas, including three years with the Peoria Housing Authority in the 1980s and 12 years as a school counselor in Peoria School District 150.
He began his coaching career after earning his B.S. in Physical Education at Bradley in 1982 and is currently working on a masters degree in Educational Administration at Illinois State.
Cox joins former Davenport Assumption High School boys basketball coach Randy Norton, along with ex-St. Ambrose College star and Northwest Missouri State assistant coach Jenny DeSmet, rounding out the staff of Pingeton, the former Iowa State associate head coach hired April 8 at Illinois State.
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Cox Box
Coaching Experience: Assistant basketball coach, Illinois State University (2003-present). Head basketball coach, Peoria Central High School (1997-2003). Coach/coordinator, Push the Rock Girls AYBT/AAU basketball coach (1993-96). Assistant mens basketball coach, Loyola University (1989-93). Assistant mens basketball coach, Bradley University (1983-88). Assistant mens basketball coach, Spoon River Junior College (1983).
Other Experience: School counselor, Northmoor Edison School, Peoria (2001-present). Counselor/girls basketball coach, Sterling Middle School (1993-2001). Assistant superintendent, Peoria Housing Authority (1986-89).
Honors, Awards, Championships
2000 & 2001 IHSA Class AA Coach of the Year
College coach of former NBA players Hersey Hawkins
and Jim Les.
Prep coach of former Redbird player Sharon Blade.
1999-02 prep/AAU coach for 7 players who received college basketball athletics scholarships.
1996 AYBT 14 & Under national champions.
1996 AYBT 16 & Under national champions.
1988 assistant coach, Missouri Valley Conference
champion, Bradley mens basketball.
1986 & 1988 assistant coach, NCAA Tournament
qualifier, Bradley mens basketball.
Personal: Married to Juanita, with daughters Cassandra, Tamara and Anissa (a softball player at Grambling State) ... B.S. Physical Education, Bradley University (1982) ... began college career at Benedictine College in Kansas as basketball/baseball student-athlete ... studying for M.S., Educational Administration, Illinois State University.
