Batavia’s Hall of Famer Roberts resigns
Batavia High School’s sports landscape has lost another titan.
Boys head varsity basketball coach Jim Roberts, who compiled a record of 455-267 in 27 years leading the Bulldogs, stepped down on Monday.
“We’ve experienced some family health issues that quite honestly need more of our attention than I’ll be able to give to the basketball program,” said Roberts, 54, who will continue as a physical education teacher at the school. “The way that we’ve tried to run it, our family health issues are going to take more time than what I can give to the basketball court.”
Inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on April 30, 2011 — nominated by Geneva coach Phil Ralston — Roberts is the winningest coach in Batavia High School history.
Roberts’ 1990-91 team went 27-2 and reached the Elite Eight in Class AA, losing 56-46 to Marshall. His 2005-06 Bulldogs went 26-2, and Roberts won a sectional title in 2002-03. He led Batavia to nine regional championships.
Chronically humble, Roberts would say it’s not just him. In “the way we’ve tried to run it,” Roberts includes his wife, Sylvia.
“She’s had a big influence on this program with everything that she has done and all the kids she’s been around all this time,” Jim Roberts said. “And it hasn’t been me, it’s been us.”
This is the second resignation of a hall of fame Bulldogs coach in as many academic years. Football coach and former Batavia athletic director Mike Gaspari resigned following the 2010 season.
That was anticipated. Gaspari faced retirement and though the door was open for his return he chose to relinquish the spot to longtime defensive coordinator Dennis Piron with great results.
This was different. Roberts, who started teaching at Batavia in 1984 and assisted Bulldogs coach Kevin O’Connor one season before taking the reins starting in 1985-86, mulled a difficult decision that surprised people in and outside the Batavia High School community.
“It’s not something that you just wake up to one day and say, boom, this is it,” Roberts said. “You take time, think it out and consult people who’ve been very big individuals in our lives. I’m trying to do what I think is right not only for us, but for Batavia basketball.”
Loyal and respectful to Bulldog tradition through and through — a 1976 graduate of the high school, Roberts enlisted one of his teachers as an assistant in 1985, and Ed Cange remains to this day — the Northwest Missouri State graduate operated out of deference to a storied, century-old history that included the 1912 state championship.
Players like Ralph Ledbetter, Dean Anderson, Dan Issel, Ken Anderson, coaches such as Bob Tober, Don Vandersnick and Joe Yagel — Roberts sought to honor them off the court and on, in those vintage warm-ups and short-sleeved jerseys, or tie and sports jacket.
“Those were the guys who put Batavia on the map,” Roberts said. “We were just trying to follow in their footsteps, honestly.”
Roberts’ basketball appreciation transcends Batavia. Seeking living history in outposts like Quincy, Lane Tech, Rock Island, East and West Aurora, even in trips to Indiana working in conjunction with Bobby Knight’s son, Tim, Roberts sought to expose his players to basketball legend as well as promote it.
As loyal as he was to Batavia lifers such as Cange and IBCA Hall of Fame public address announcer Rudy Dubis, Roberts sought mentors from other quality programs, such as St. Charles’ Ron Johnson, West Aurora’s John McDougal and Gordie Kerkman, St. Joseph’s Gene Pingatore and King’s Landon Cox.
Roberts’ founding 19 years ago of the Batavia Night of Hoops shootout, his saluting of a “fan of the year” reflected a sincere desire to provide high-quality yet homespun basketball for Bulldogs players, opponents, and a discriminating fan base. Following Roberts’ IBCA Hall of Fame induction, a Batavia City Council Proclamation on May 2, 2011, proved he’d succeeded.
“Obviously I thank our players, our assistant coaches, the administration and the people of Batavia that have been so supportive of what we’ve tried to do here,” Roberts said.
“I just hope it’s meant something to wear the Batavia basketball uniform for our players. We’ve talked about being very aware of the people that came before you as well as the people who will come after you.”
“At peace” with his decision to retire, Roberts said that as a tactician he was “unimaginative” and “probably stole more from other people than you can imagine.”
It’s doubtful one could have given more back.
“I guess that’s probably up to other people to decide,” Roberts said of his on-court achievements. “If it’s for us, it’s been a neat thing to see kids grow up here in town, and for the vast majority of guys to just play here, the idea of realizing what they were doing was something special, and meant a lot to a lot of people.”