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Ward a natural to replace Healy at St. Francis

“A perfect fit” is the going phrase to describe the best choice of college commitments and coaching hires.

Bob Ward and the St. Francis boys basketball program are a perfect fit.

Necessitated by varsity coach Shawn Healy’s resignation in order to build a career and home life in Madison, Wis., former Wheaton North coach Ward ended St. Francis’ search for a replacement last week.

The process began immediately after Healy’s resignation and drew 74 applicants, St. Francis athletic director Paul Linden said. Ward was among eight finalists, and emerged as the top candidate for a successful pair of final interviews with St. Francis principal Raeann Huhn.

“Everyone we spoke to about Bob, there were just glowing reviews,” Linden said.

He praised Ward’s organization skills, his relationships and connections with the various youth levels and coaches in the Wheaton area. Also his ability to groom quality assistants and of course Ward’s coaching ability and résumé, which has produced a career record of 250-225 in 17 seasons, the last six at Wheaton North from 1994-2000.

“He really is who you think he is,” said Linden, who himself has resigned from his position, effective June 30. “He’s one of those genuine people who wants to help others, wants to be there. He’s just good, just very good.”

In that final 1999-2000 season Ward’s Falcons went 17-10 and reached the regional finals. Ward surprised by resigning shortly afterward, a combination of what he called health “blips” and his commitment as a history and psychology teacher.

The health problem has since been remedied, and this spring he retires as a teacher after 34 years, half of them at Wheaton North. Ward began as a teacher and assistant at Lake Zurich before head coaching spots at Spring Valley Hall and Round Lake, where he will be inducted into its athletic hall of fame this weekend.

“It was an opportunity for me to go into kind of a new phase and embrace, for me, what was a perfect scenario, to get an opportunity at my age to get back into it but with the caveat of not teaching all day long,” said Ward, who sat out one year at Wheaton North before returning as an assistant at several levels for Falcons coach Jim Nazos.

“I enjoyed the assistant position with ‘Naz,’ but there’s always been a little something inside me that never ruled out coming back,” Ward said.

Linden equated this hire with the one four years ago that landed football coach Greg Purnell out of Iowa — an outstanding veteran who had been away from a head coaching spot a few years and whose “fire starts burning again.”

A 56-year-old man who lives with his wife, Valerie, in Winfield, Ward spoke of his respect for St. Francis as a school and as a program, and for former Spartans coach Mike Harper and “the Healy boys,” Shawn and Wheaton Warrenville South athletic director Mike Healy, a pair of St. Francis graduates.

“The foundation was good,” Ward said. “They’ve got good kids, they’re Wheaton kids. I look forward to working with them.”

Before meeting his new players on Thursday, perhaps detailing the man-to-man defense, up-tempo offense and commitment to team principles he desires, Ward on Tuesday said goodbye to his Wheaton kids at North.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “I’ve had great, great kids to coach and great kids in the classroom, so this is something that I’ll miss. But again, change is good.”

Naperville football unites

District 203 and 204 teams may clobber each other in the first couple nonconference games each season, but in these calmer times the head coaches from Naperville Central, Naperville North, Waubonsie Valley, Neuqua Valley, Metea Valley and Benet will present a clinic for Naperville youth football coaches this Saturday at Naperville North High School.

About a half-hour past the 8:30 a.m. registration Naperville Central coach Mike Stine will address leadership development, followed by Neuqua coach Bryan Wells discussing game-simulated defensive drills.

At about 10 a.m. Waubonsie coach Paul Murphy will talk about offensive drills, and after he’s done Benet’s Pat New takes on practice organization and structure.

The last hour features Metea’s Ted Monken describing defensive line drills for kids, and host coach Sean Drendel of the Naperville North Huskies concludes with his presentation on offensive coaching philosophy.

Then comes a coaches sing-a-long and s’mores around the campfire. Just kidding.

Cost to attend the coaches clinic is a pittance at just $15.

They’re No. 1

Bearing a 46-6 record, the College of DuPage softball team is ranked first in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III.

The Chaparrals, coached by 1994 Lisle graduate Ryan Connell — his wife, Glenbard East grad Marianne (McOmber), is pitching coach — enter their national tournament having won 23 of their last 25 games.

In regionals the Chaparrals first defeated Harper then clubbed Joliet, 18-8, to advance to the nationals in Rochester, Minn. COD will face a regional winner out of New York when it resumes May 19.

COD reached the national championship in 2009, then went 23-20 last season.

“A little bit of a turnaround,” Connell said of this season.

“We’ve got a pretty good shot this year, we feel pretty confident,” he said.

Lovable winners

Timothy Christian’s softball team was invited by Clemente High School athletic director Mark Crawley to play a game at Little Cubs Field, a ballpark in Chicago’s Humboldt Park that is somewhat of a replica of Wrigley Field. No ivy, though.

The game last Friday, the first softball game to be played at Little Cubs Field since it opened in 2009 — built by the big Cubs — also served to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Timothy coach Erin Hamstra said Clemente was supposed to play Proviso East, but Proviso East had to cancel to make up a conference game. Crawley attended Timothy’s game on May 5 and extended the invitation.

To top it off, Timothy beat Clemente 5-3.

“My players were ecstatic about the opportunity to play at ‘Little Wrigley,’ so we agreed,” Hamstra said. “Not to mention it was a great cause.”

doberhelman@dailyherald.com