WW South chooses Benet grad Szorc

Bob Szorc knows he's leaving a good situation, but he feels good about the prospect of joining another.

Szorc has been hired as Wheaton Warrenville South's new boys basketball coach to replace Mike Healy, who stepped down in March after nine years at the helm to put his complete focus on his duties as the school's athletic director. The hiring is pending approval of the school board.

“Going through the process, it just seemed like the right fit,” said Szorc, a 2003 graduate of Benet. “The academics, the athletics, the facilities are all tremendous.”

At Rock Island Alleman the last two years, Szorc coached the Pioneers to consecutive Class 2A regional titles. This season Alleman advanced to the Sherrard sectional final.

Szorc will lead a WW South program that finished the season 19-10, good for second in the DuPage Valley Conference at 10-4. The Tigers were eliminated in the Class 4A West Aurora regional final.

“It's the DVC,” Szorc said. “It's a tough conference in terms of physical play. We're going to be defensive-minded and fundamentally sound.”

Szorc, an assistant at Marmion for two years before being hired by Alleman, graduated from St. John's University in Minnesota and will teach math at WW South.

“He had a great vision of the program on the basketball court, off the basketball court, in the classroom, and with the development of the kids,” Healy said. “He's going to be a guy the kids will enjoy playing for.”

Szorc said he had an emotional final meeting with his Alleman players on Tuesday and added he's anxious to get to know his new players at WW South.

“This was a tough move,” he said. “Alleman's a great place, but it's time to immerse myself at Wheaton Warrenville South.”