Basketball coach Gene Gourley to be immortalized

BY CHAD DARE
Danville, IL, Commercial-News
 
March 18, 2007
 
DANVILLE — Doug Barnette was looking for a way to honor former Danville coach Gene Gourley.

Barnette, a major sports agent living in Danville, also wanted to help the Danville YMCA.

He found a way to do both with a $25,000 donation to honor his former coach.

The basketball floor in the large gymnasium at the Danville YMCA will be coined “Gene Gourley Court” to serve as a permanent reminder of his contributions to the Danville High School basketball program and the Danville community as a whole.

“Coach Gourley is a guy who has affected so many lives in his career, and he really does not even fully comprehend the things that he has accomplished both professionally and personally,’’ Barnette said. “When I look back on my playing days and the great coaches that I played for, like Mike Stephens, Mark Dicken and Andy Houpt, it makes me fully appreciate the commitment that coach Gourley made to the Danville program.

“He’s the guy who orchestrated it all. If it was not for my parents and coach Gourley, I feel quite certain that I would not have achieved the success that I enjoy today. They taught me discipline and what it means to work hard and do things right.’’

According to an official release from Player Management International, John Alexander, the executive director of the Danville Family YMCA, said he was excited about the contribution and the opportunity to honor a great person and coach like Gourley. Alexander’s son, Jeff, played under Gourley during his one season at Armstrong-Potomac.

“Gene Gourley has always been a wonderful example for our area kids,’’ said Alexander in the release. “He has always held to the four core values that we teach in all of our YMCA programs — caring, respect, responsibility and honesty.

“We are happy that Doug and his family thought of us for the donation, and at the same time, chose to honor a great man such as coach Gourley.’’

Gourley, who won 359 games in 21 years at Danville, was both honored and humbled by Barnette’s gesture.

“I’m not sure that I’m deserving of this honor, but I’m very, very pleased that the contribution is going to help the Danville YMCA, and ultimately, help the Danville community,’’ he said. “When Doug told me about this, I thought he was joking with me.

“But, when he told me why he was doing this, I thought it was an excellent idea. This is going to be something that is not only going to help kids in Danville, but it will help all the kids in the county.’’

Barnette said he chose the YMCA because that is where he spent the majority of his childhood.

“I spent countless days and night in the gym with my father and/or my brother playing basketball,’’ Barnette said. “We basically lived there and it is still a place where it starts for all athletes in the Danville area, which is why I thought it was the most appropriate way to honor a guy that not only had a major impact on Danville High School basketball, but on the community, itself.’’

The Danville Family YMCA was established in 1883 and now serves over 10,000 annually with programs designed to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities.