An incredible year deserves an incredible title, Coach Marc Urban has officially been named a Coach of the Year.  Already a two time ICBA coach of the year, Coach Marc Urban has been honored once again by his peers, winning the award for the third time in his career. He led his team 29-1, and to the 2022 State Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “I had a group of guys who went 29-1, won a lot of games, and that made me look good,” he insists. 

 Urban has had an extremely successful run at Chesterton High School, and it is not near the end. He starts each year with an open mind and goals to accomplish. His team this year followed suit in his success track by beginning the work as soon as the previous season completed. This year they will once again begin from square one, says Urban. 

“[They’ll] Start from square one, just like they did last year. People don’t realize how hard it is to get to the state championship in basketball, in Indiana, it is extremely hard. You can’t miss a step and you have to start over like everything is known, you know, go from there,” Urban explains. With a successful season, the boys need to put their noses back to the grind for next season.

    Urban has had countless role models in his athletic career, playing both football and basketball throughout high school, however he most looks up to a man he worked for in his early years.

      “The guy I worked for in college, Royce Waltman. He was really good, held them (the team)  accountable in many ways, but he was really good and gave me the opportunity to work for a division one program,” 

     With multiple opportunities, Urban went back to his Alma Mater, Lake Central High School, and coached the Girls Team, and won a coach of the year award there. 

     Shortly after the State Final game concluded, Urban was asked by Mike Broughton, the head of the Indiana All-Star committee to coach the Indiana Junior All-Star team. Urban described his emotions as excited and humbling, adding, “It’s that series with Indiana and Kentucky, the whole Indiana All-Star process is like something that there is a lot of tradition, so to be able to have my little part in it is really really exciting and it’s also very humbling”

The roster was announced days after the season was finished, Travis Grayson being one of the Indiana Senior All-Stars. With that being said, the Indiana Juniors play two games, a practice game against the Indiana Seniors and a game against Kentucky’s Junior All-Stars. Grayson has been coached the last four years by Urban. Urban is excited to shut Grayson down and get a few laughs in the process. 

     Having a team packed with talent, Urban wants to make sure every team member gets the proper playing time and opportunities. He is ready to coach Indiana’s best juniors including Xavier Booker, whom the Trojans fought against for the title and Penn’s Marcus Burton, who the Trojans played in the regional championship. The rest of the team is just as high on the marker including Heritage Christian’s Myles Colvin, Ben Davis’ Zane Doughty, Lincoln-Stockton’s Joey Hart, Zionsville’s Logan Imes, all of whom Urban is particularly excited to coach. The other junior all stars are North Central’s Joey Brown, Park Tudor’s Jermaine Coleman (another exhilarating one), Metropolitan’s David Meriwether, North Davies’ Jaylen Mullen, Carmel’s Sam Orme, Bloomington North’s JQ Roberts, NorthWood’s Cade Brenner, Culver Academies’ Cooper Farrall, Cathedral’s Jaron Tibbs (another State Champion), Munster’s Brandon Trilli, and Gary 21st Century’s Ashton Williamson. 

     “It will be kinda fun to get to know those kids a little bit more, obviously we have one practice and two games so it is not too in-depth. But it’ll be fun to get to know those kids, coach them, and try to have some fun with them,” commented Urban.

Coach Urban and the junior all stars will be assisted by Coach Ben Rhoades of Mt. Vernon.