Former Frankfort High School boys’ basketball coach Marty Echelbarger will become part of the 2018 men’s induction class of the Indiana Basketball Association Hall of Fame in New Castle.
After playing under Hall of Fame coaches in high school and college, Echelbarger became a Hall of Fame coach to the tune of 452 career wins at Indiana high schools. Playing under Hall of Fame inductees John Longfellow and Dwight Tallman at Muncie Central H.S., Echelbarger was a senior letter winner on the Bearcats’ 1963 29-1 state championship squad. He then played four years for Hall of Fame coach John Collier at Hanover College before launching into his own 35-year coaching career.
In stints at Southwestern (Shelby), Owen Valley, Brebeuf Jesuit, Princeton, Frankfort and Heritage Hills, his teams won nine sectional championships, 14 conference titles, two Marion County titles, seven county and holiday tournament titles and recorded 20+ win seasons at four different schools. Earning Marion County Coach of the Year and IBCA District Coach of the Year honors, he coached four Indiana All-Stars in his career and was a 2004 Indiana Junior All-Star coach. Retired, he resides in Santa Claus, Indiana.
The Class of 2018 will be recognized during a ceremony March 21 in Indianapolis. This year marks the 57th induction class of the hall.
Other inductees include:
- Steve Brett, Loogootee High School, Class of 1967
- Harold Cox, Kokomo High School, Class of 1954
- Rod Freeman, Anderson High School, Class of 1969
- Bill Greve, Waveland High School, Class of 1955
- John Heaton, Bloomfield High School, Class of 1958
- Jimmie Howell, Lapel High School, Class of 1972
- Larry Parks, Arlington High School, Class of 1958
- Carl Short, Indianapolis Manual High School, Class of 1956
- Earl Smith Jr., Gary Roosevelt High School, Class of 1952
- John Wellemeyer, Huntingburg High School, Class of 1967
- David “Poncho” Wright, Indianapolis John Marshall High School, Class of 1978
- Silver Medal Award Winner: Bob Lovell, Plainfield High School, Class of 1969
- Centennial Award Winner: Gene Thomas, Fortville High School, Class of 1918