What happens to Loogootee water tower when Jack Butcher's wins record falls?
Kyle Neddenriep
As early as next week, the words on the water tower and signs outside Loogootee will be outdated.
A sign on the city limits of the Martin County community of 2,714 people reads:
“Welcome To
Loogootee
Home of
Jack Butcher
Indiana’s
All Time Winningest
High School Basketball Coach”
One side the water town reads the same, in big black letters. It also includes Jack Butcher’s win-loss record of 806-250.
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Doyel on Butcher: State's winningest coach had no intentions of leaving home
Butcher always knew somebody would reach 807. It was just a matter of when. It appears that day is coming soon, maybe as early as Thursday, when Bloomington South hosts Northview. Bloomington South’s J.R. Holmes goes into the weekend with 804 wins with games at Greencastle on Friday and at home against Jennings County on Saturday.
“Oh yeah, I coached against him when he was at Mitchell,” Butcher said Friday by telephone from his home in Loogootee. “But I never followed (the record) that closely. I had been under the impression somebody else was going to break it, which shows you how much I followed it.”
Butcher, 86, returned home this week from Florida, where he spends time every winter playing cards and catching up with friends. But Butcher and his wife, Rita, still call Loogootee home. He won all 806 of his games at Loogootee, his alma mater, from 1957 to 2002. Loogootee reached the single-class state finals in 1970 and 1975 under Butcher and had just two losing seasons in his 45 years coaching the Lions.
What will happen to the water tower and the signs? Loogootee mayor Noel Harty said the timing is fortunate “because we are about due to paint them anyway.”
“We will still recognize coach Butcher,” Harty said. “I’m sure of that.”
The street that runs in front of Loogootee High School was renamed “Jack Butcher Blvd.” after his retirement. Harty estimated that the water tower is painted “every 15 to 20 years.”
“It’s very expensive,” he said. “I’m not going to say it will happen tomorrow or even next year, but it will happen soon.”
Butcher said he is not sure if he will attend the game when Holmes does break the record. But he has been invited to attend a celebration in Bloomington after the season.
“Winning 806 games at one school,” Harty said. “I think that will be a hard record to break.”
That might be an easy line to add to the water tower.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
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BEST NIGHT IN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
The IndyStar Sports Awards recognizes and honors the top athletic accomplishments in Indiana High School Sports. This event is hosted by the IndyStar and will take place May 5, 2019 at Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University. The show features various awards, contests and a special appearance from Danica Patrick.