NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Announces 2007 Hall of Fame Class

COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. (Dec. 14, 2006) - Four new members of the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame have been selected for the 2007 induction. This year's inductees include eight-time Region 14 Coach of the Year Scott Gernander, 1963 All-American Richard Park, long-time Illinois Central College head coach Carroll Herman and two-time Division II Coach of the Year John Spezia.

Since its inception in 1984, a total of 107 coaches, players and special contributors have been inducted into the hall. This year's inductees will be honored at the 2007 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in Hutchinson , Kan. on March 19 and the 2007 NJCAA Division II Men's Tournament in Danville , Ill. on March 20th.

Scott Gernander
One of the most decorated two-year college coaches of all-time current San Jacinto College head coach Scott Gernander is entering his 20th season at the helm of the Raven basketball program. Heading into the 2006-07 season, Gernander has compiled an overall record of 520-119 (.831) over 19 seasons, which ranks 17th among active NJCAA coaches.

He has taken eight teams to the NJCAA National Tournament, finishing runner-up for the National Championship in 1997 and 2003, and a third place finish in 1989. In 19 seasons as head coach, Gernander's Ravens have either won or tied for 15 conference championships, including a stretch of nine straight seasons (1996-2005). He has been named Conference Coach of the Year 11 times and Region 14 Coach of the Year eight times. On two different occasions, he has coached his Raven team to an undefeated regular season to go along with a No. 1 national ranking.

Prior to being named head coach in 1987, he served seven years as an assistant at San Jacinto under NJCAA Hall of Fame coach Ronne Arrow. Gernander helped lead the program to 223 victories and three National Championships (1983, 1984 and 1986).

Gernander began his coaching career at Tower-Soudan High School in Tower, Minn. , where he served as head coach for seven seasons before becoming head coach at South Houston High School in Houston , Texas for two seasons. He compiled an overall high school coaching record of 153-51 (.750), winning three District Championships and five Conference Championships.

In 38 years of service in the game, Gernander has coached seven All-Americans and four future NBA players, including current NBA stars Sam Cassell (Los Angeles Clippers) and Steve Francis (New York Knicks). Most impressively, 90 of his players have gone on to play NCAA Division I basketball during his time as head coach of the Ravens.

Richard H. Park
It has been over 40 years since Richard Park's dazzling offensive performance at the 1963 NJCAA National Tournament, yet to many, Park's performance that year solidified him as one of the best pure-shooters in NJCAA history.

Park led Independence Community College (then known as Independence Junior College ) to the 1963 National Championship, averaging 32 points a game in the tournament (128 points in four games). In the title game against Moberly Junior College , he scored a game-high 39 points, which still stands as the second-highest point total in a NJCAA Championship game. He earned All-Tournament and All-American honors that season.

After two seasons at Independence , Park was a stellar performer at the University of Tulsa . He led the nation in free throw percentage in 1964 making 121 shots at the charity stripe out of 134 attempts (.901). In 1965, Park earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as the conference's scoring leader that season (18.4 PPG). In addition to currently holding Tulsa 's record for free throw percentage in a season, Park also holds the record for most free throws attempted and made in a game (both against Arkansas on Jan. 25, 1964, made 23 of 24 attempts).

Park also received NCAA All-American Honorable Mention accolades after the 1964-65 season and was then selected in the 1965 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Park returned to the NJCAA ranks as head coach of Independence in 1973, leading the program to back-to-back Jayhawk Conference Championships (1973-74 & 1974-75). His two year record at Independence was 48-13 (.786). He then returned to his other alma mater, Tulsa , and served two years as an assistant coach from 1975 to 1977.

In 1991 he was inducted into the University of Tulsa Athletics Hall of Fame .

Carroll Herman
Carroll Herman took a struggling basketball program at Illinois Central College and seemingly overnight elevated it to a level of success no one would have thought possible.

Prior to his arrival as head coach in 1979, the Illinois Central basketball team averaged just seven wins over its first seven seasons of existence. In just his first season, Herman led the Cougars to 20 wins and then repeated that win total for eight-straight seasons.

In 20 years (1979-1999) as head coach at Illinois Central, Herman, who also served as athletic director, led his team to nine conference championships (eight Arrowhead Conference Championships and one Collegiate Conference of Central Illinois Championship), five NJCAA sectional championships, two Region 24 championships and two appearances at the NJCAA National Tournament, finishing third in 1997.

Herman has received many coach of the year honors including, Illinois NJCAA Coach of the Year (1982), Collegiate Conference of Central Illinois Coach of the Year (1996), Illinois NJCAA Division II Region 24 Coach of the Year (1997) and NJCAA District 8 Coach of the Year (1997).

Prior to taking the reins at Illinois Central, Herman served as athletic director and head basketball coach at Robert Morris College (1973-74) and Trenton Junior College (1976-79). In 24 years of coaching in the NJCAA, Herman compiled an overall record of 459-278 (.622), he record at Illinois Central was 381-250 (.603).

He coached four NJCAA All-Americans and placed over 100 players in four-year institutions.

He served as Assistant Director Men's Division of NJCAA Region 24 for five years. He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

John Spezia
When one thinks of Danville Area Community College , John Spezia immediately comes to mind. Spezia took over the men's basketball program at DACC in 1982 and remained in the position until 2006. He did take a one year leave of absence to coach professionally in England in 2002.

In 24 years at Danville Area, 19 of which he also served as Athletic Director, Spezia's teams won six NJCAA Region 14 titles and made six appearances at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, including winning the 1991 Championship, a runner-up finish in 1999, third place in 2000, fourth in 2001 and two seventh place finishes in 1992 and 1998. He accumulated 354 wins at Danville Area and led the program to ten 20-win seasons. His 1991 squad was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001.

During his final season as head coach, Spezia won his 400th game at Danville Area Community College , making him the all-time winningest coach in the schools history. He boasts a 38-14 post-season record and his 12 total NJCAA Tournament wins ranks second all-time. He coached six Academic All-Americans, two All-Americans and two Honorable Mention All-Americans. He finished with an overall career record of 400-352.

Spezia accumulated many Coach of the Year accolades, including NJCAA District 5 Coach of the Year six times, Region 24 Tournament Coach of the Year four times, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year three times, NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year twice and NJCAA Division II Coach of the Year twice. He also helped coach NJCAA All-Star teams in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

He is currently the Vice President of the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association, after being its Division II representative for 10 years. He was also the Assistant Director for Region 24, and served on numerous national committees. Over 100 of his student-athletes went on to further their education on scholarship at four year institutions, five of his former players are currently head basketball coaches at the collegiate level and over 20 are involved in college athletics.

One of his greatest contributions to the NJCAA and the sport of basketball has been his dedication and service to the NJCAA Division II Tournament, which he helped move to Danville in 1994 and has since served as Assistant Tournament Director. Spezia also served as Region 24 Tournament Director for 10 years.

In 2004, Spezia was named NACDA Central Region Junior College Athletic Director of the Year and was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.