Following Jack Campbell’s resignation as the girls’ basketball coach, a position that he held for the better part of a century, a new face is coming to Chesterton. A CHS grad, Candy Wilson, who is also former Valparaiso head coach, is moving 10 minutes down Meridian to lead what was her team’s biggest rival. I had the opportunity to ask Coach Wilson a few questions about her new gig.

First and foremost, as a CHS alum yourself, what does it mean to you to be able to come back and coach here? Describe your feelings when accepting the job.

• It’s very exciting to be able to come back to Chesterton and be a part of the school environment again.  I can’t believe how quickly time goes by. To teach and coach at a place you were raised adds another level of satisfaction to the position. Working at other school systems has been very rewarding and those places and people will always be very special to me. I met and worked with so many incredible people through my years.  When you have been teaching and coaching for 30 years, you develop a lot of connections and many of those people have connections with Chesterton. So, it’s a comfortable and exciting time for me. I am very happy to be here.

How long have you been involved in coaching? How many years of varsity experience? Where have the other stops in your coaching career been before CHS?

• I have been coaching various sports for 30 years now, 26 years of being a Head Varsity Basketball Coach, 17 years of being a Head Varsity Track and Field Coach.

 I actually started my coaching career at Chesterton High School after I graduated from Purdue in 1994. These are the coaching positions I have held:

• JV girls soccer coach at Chesterton High School from 1994-1998.  
• Middle school basketball and track coach at Liberty Middle School from 1994-1996 
• JV  Basketball coach at Wheeler High School from 1994-1996.
• JV Basketball at Boone Grove High School from 1996-1997
• Head Varsity Track and Field Coach 1996-2013, Boone Grove High School
• Head Varsity Basketball Coach Boone Grove High School 1997-2013
• JV Basketball Coach Valparaiso High School, 2013-2014
• Head Varsity Basketball Coach Valparaiso High School, 2014-2024
• Middle School track and field coach Thomas Jefferson Middle School 2013-2015

What is your favorite thing about coaching?

• I enjoy the lifelong relationships that I have developed with the players I have coached. They are on my team for life, not just for 4 years. I also really enjoy the developmental part of working with players from the time they are in elementary school through their high school years with me. It’s exciting to see kids learn and grow and to be a part of it. I am also very competitive and enjoy that challenge.

What are you most excited about in coming to coach at Chesterton? Are there specific players, games, etc that made this job so attractive to you?

• There are so many things about Chesterton and the girl’s basketball program that make it such an exciting position. First of all, being an alumnus of the program and school makes it personal for me. This is the place that I grew up and I want to make a positive impact on it. The town really supports its athletics programs and the school is the nucleus of the town. The program has a lot to offer with the talent and a solid foundation. I see the opportunity to come in and build on this by amping up the youth development program. 

What will be some of your first ‘orders of business’ as the head of the program? Will you:

• Coming in my first job is to get to know the players and staff and begin filling staff positions where they are needed. I also need to get our centralized communication set up for the entire program with a web page and communication app. I will also be scheduling spring workouts, summer events, leagues, and camps.  

– Will you adjust the schedule in any way? Add new competition? Will you play in any different tournaments during the season?

• I am looking at the schedule now and making a few changes.  Schools have contracts that they sign that are in place for a few years before too many changes can be made.  But we will make some changes in a few games this year.

– Offensive/defensive philosophy?

• My offensive and defensive philosophies work hand and hand. I like an aggressive system of defense that creates a lot of offense from it. I don’t like teams to feel comfortable when they play us.

What subject do you teach at Valpo? Will you continue to teach that here? What is your favorite thing about teaching?

• I teach Developmental Reading at Valparaiso High School. They are in the process of coming up with my teaching schedule now so stay tuned.

Who is your favorite sports team?

• Purdue University men’s and women’s basketball, the Chicago Bears, Sky, and Bulls as well as the Indiana Fever Women’s team.

What are your expectations for players in the program/wanting to be in the program here at Chesterton?

• My expectations for players are that they are good people and teammates, hard workers, reliable, and they are present so that we can improve as a team and as individuals.