Hawks’ Hulsing nominated for national coach of year award

Jerry Hulsing is directing Lynnville-Sully’s girls basketball program for his 24th season. The Hawks are 18-1 overall, ranked No. 9 in Class 1A and in line for another South Iowa Cedar League championship in 2016.

Hulsing was announced last week as a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association national coach of the year in girls basketball. The NHSACA has eight finalists from across the nation for each sport who will be honored during its national convention in June in Louisville, Ky.

Hulsing was selected for this national honor by the Iowa Girls Coaches’ Association. At the NHSACA national convention in Louisville, the organization will name its national coach of the year in 19 sports.

“This is a very nice honor,” Hulsing said. “To be nominated by the Iowa Girls Coaches’ Association was surprising to me, but I’m very honored. Then to be a national finalist is really humbling for me, and I’m very appreciative of just being nominated for the honor.”

Hulsing’s coaching record, all at Lynnville-Sully, stands at 482 wins and 116 losses. The Hawks have two more regular-season games this year and the 1A playoffs.

Lynnville-Sully plays at Colfax-Mingo Thursday to decide if it will play for the 2016 SICL championship. The Hawks are the defending conference champions, but the SICL went to a two-division format this season with a crossover game at the end to determine the championship.

Lynnville-Sully has eight conference titles under Hulsing. The girls’ basketball program has had nine trips to the Iowa 1A state basketball tournament, winning three straight state titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999. The Hawks were runner up in 1996.

The Hawks have been to the state tournament in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. They lost in a regional championship game in 2015 after going 19-1 in the SICL and 22-2 overall.

“It doesn’t feel like 24 years. Lynnville-Sully is a great place to coach. I’ve had a lot of great girls to coach over the years and without them this honor is not possible,” Hulsing said. “This award has my name on it but it belongs to the hundreds of girls we’ve coached in this program.

“The girls are what made this a great program over the years. I’m blessed to have coached every one of them.”

The NHSACA selection was based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years, and winning percentage. The nominees and finalists are evaluated by experts in the field of coaching using a sport-specific rubrics to assign points in each category.

The National High School Athletic Coaches Association is the oldest coaches association in the nation formed by coaches, for coaches, and has been recognizing national coaches of the year since 1978.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com