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Gregg Gierke
CHICAGO, IL (June 13, 2003) - Gregg Gierke, a Chicago native, had played high
school basketball only a few miles away from North Park College at Taft
High School before being recruited to play basketball for the Vikings.
Gregg isn't the only Gierke to play for a national title team at North
Park. Brother Todd played on championship teams in 1985 and 1987.
When Gierke came to North Park, he said that he saw the potential the
1977-78 squad had during his first collegiate workout. "I could see that
things were really going to happen, just from the talent that was there,
and I wanted to be a part of that," Gierke said. "I was one of the first
couple of guys off the bench, so I got some meaningful minutes (for the
first title team). But being part of something great like that, it doesn't
matter. You'd be amazed how many people know about North Park basketball.
And when they ask me about North Park, I'm never asked how many points I
scored or how much I played; they just want to know about the championships
and about that experience."
Gierke's college basketball career wasn't all glory. As a sophomore, Gierke
started occasionally for the second championship squad, but he saw little
playing time during his junior year. Before Gierke's senior year, McCarrell
asked Gierke to become an assistant coach rather than try out again for the
team. Gierke accepted - and hasn't stopped coaching since. As a men's
basketball coach for Florida Community College at Jacksonville, he uses his
playing experience as a case study to teach his players what it means to be
a team player.
"It felt like a great compliment, although it could've been taken the other
way," said Gierke about being asked to become a college coach while he was
still eligible to play. "I try to see the glass half full instead of half
empty. Too many kids take a bad event and quit or transfer. I took it as a
compliment.
"I started a few games as a sophomore and then was a 12th man on the third
title team, so I've seen it all," he continued. "But I never pointed any
fingers or tried to break up the team chemistry. A lot of guys now probably
would've transferred."
Following graduation, Gierke continued coaching and when McCarrell left
North Park after the 1983-84 season to coach at Mankato State University in
Minnesota, Gierke followed McCarrell to Mankato to be an assistant. He then
took a head coaching position at Kishwaukee Community College in Malta,
Illinois, where his teams won seven conference titles in 12 years and made
the National Junior College Athletic Association championship game once.
Married to wife Jeanne and the father of three children, Gierke has
continued his winning ways in Jacksonville. He earned his 400th career
victory with a 76-66 win over Daytona Beach on February 16.
"I started out in pre-dentistry, but with the great teams we had and the
great coaching we had I switched my career path," Gierke said. "I wanted to
do something that I wanted to do the rest of my life. And I wasn't sure
looking into their mouths (as a dentist) and causing people pain was going
to do that. Now I feel I have the best job out there. I live five miles
from the beach, I get to wear shorts every day and I never have to shovel
snow."
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