Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for April 21, 2006 BILLY CHUMBLER CALLS IT QUITS

From the Paducah Sun...

Chumbler steps away for now

By Joey Fosko

Last efforts? Veteran boys’ basketball coach Bill Chumbler communicates with his Trigg County team in its Second Region tournament loss to Henderson County in March. STEVE MILLIZER/The Paducah Sun

After 37 years as a basketball coach, 780 career wins and a handful of state tournament trophies, Bill Chumbler has decided to call it quits.

“To say I’ve been extremely blessed is an understatement,” Chumbler said Thursday, when he announced his retirement from coaching. “I’ve had great players, great kids and great assistant coaches.”

Chumbler, 60, leaves behind a legacy of consistent success. After turning Cairo into one of southern Illinois’ most feared programs, he spent eight seasons at Paducah Tilghman, taking the Tornado to the Sweet 16 three times and to the state championship game in 2002.

He spent the last four years at Trigg County, going 79-39 and becoming the first coach in school history to log three consecutive 20-win seasons. His career record, which also includes a three year-stint at Century (1970-73) in southern Illinois, is 780-290 for a .729 winning percentage.

“Right now, there are some other things I want to do,” Chumbler said. “I want to do some fishing and watch my grandkids play. I might be lost without basketball, but I’m going to give it a year and see how it goes.

“I won’t say I’m totally done with coaching, but it would take a really good situation to make me think about doing it again.”

Trigg was 21-8 last season, falling to Henderson County in the Second Region semifinals. The Wildcats also lost to University Heights in the All A Classic regional finals less than a week after 6-foot-6 forward Russell Mackins left the team to return to Cairo, his hometown. Mackins’ knee injury during the 2004-05 season may have also cost Trigg a potential state tournament trip.

“Some things happen that are beyond your control,” Chumbler said. “I liked the way kids regrouped after that. We stumbled for a little bit, but we got it back together even though we couldn’t replace the things that Russell did for us.

“I would have loved to taken Trigg to the state tournament, but we had some success,” Chumbler said. “And I really appreciate the Trigg people and all they’ve done for the program. They’ve been good to me and very appreciative.”

Chumbler said he had promised Trigg he would coach at least two seasons when he took the job in the spring of 2002 “but it was always a year-to-year thing after that.”

Trigg superintendent Tim McGinniss said Chumbler “did exactly what he said he would do when he came here. He told us we would be competitive, get some discipline in the program and play a tough schedule. He earned some respect for our program, not just in this area but across the state.”

An all-state player for Lowes in the early 1960s, Chumbler initially signed with Mississippi State but never played for the Bulldogs. NCAA rules at the time prohibited freshmen from playing on the varsity level, and Chumbler transferred to Murray State after one season.

In 21 seasons at Cairo, the Pilots won 443 games (21.1 per season) and won two sectional titles in ultra-competitive southern Illinois. Cairo finished third in the Illinois Class A state tournament twice, in 1981 and 1993.

Chumbler left Cairo for Tilghman when the school temporarily cut athletics in 1994 and led the Tornado to the Sweet 16 three times in eight seasons. Tilghman lost to Scott County in the semifinals in 1999 but beat Louisville Male in the final four three years later, losing to Lexington Catholic in the title game.