Last week, Chris Gibson was named the Clinton High School varsity boys basketball coach.

Coach Gibson has had an incredible journey and as a young coach, has already experienced a tremendous amount of success. Upon his graduation from high school, he felt the call to coaching basketball. Coach Gibson was able to quickly get his foot in the door and learn under two Hall of Fame coaches within a few years of graduating high school.

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Coach Gibson was then asked to become an assistant varsity coach at his alma matter of Coal City for a year. Coach Gibson explains at age 22 he was named the head basketball coach at Midland High School north of Peoria where he experienced some success. Coach Gibson is the youngest person to be named a head basketball coach in IHSA History.

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From Midland High School Gibson went back to college to get his degree. He explains he ended up at Olivet Nazarene University and was an assistant coach in their program. Coach Gibson says he was a sponge while at Olivet.

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It was after his graduation from Olivet Coach Gibson ended up at Caterpillar in Peoria and then had the opportunity to coach at Dwight Township High School. Coach Gibson experienced quite a bit of success as the head coach at Dwight.

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Dwight High School had to make a few cuts in their business department, and unfortunately Coach Gibson was one of those cuts and he sought out a new situation and feels Clinton is going to be a great fit for him and his family.

Coach Gibson knows he has his work cut out for him with very established programs in the Okaw Valley Conference like Maroa-Forsyth, Meridian, St. Teresa, and Unity.

Coach Gibson wants to be able to run the floor and create transition off of defense.