A former area coach continues to rack up honors in retirement. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association has been celebrating Title IX’s 50th Anniversary this year by having media members select and then honor the 30 most impactful people in Men’s Basketball and the 30 most impactful people in Women’s basketball during the last 50 years staring on January 20th. They have been naming the honorees in alphabetical order and are now in their 3rd week.
Each week, two individuals are selected. This week, former Carrollton and Edwardsville Girls’ Head Basketball Coach Lori Blade was honored.
The IBCA’s website says the Blade’s name is synonymous with winning. Blade finished her girls basketball coaching career with a mark of 743-92 with two state titles and one second place finish at Carrollton and two Final Four appearances at Edwardsville. Her teams won 30 plus games twelve times. She’s 8th on the all-time list in girls basketball coaching wins. Blade announced her retirement from coaching basketball in April 2020. Blade spent 8 years in Carrollton, and has been with Edwardsville for the past two decades.
She continues to coach softball and teach physical education at Edwardsville. She is the only IHSA coach to have 700 wins in two different sports.