A number of former Holiday Tournament former
players have gone on to careers in professional athletics in sports other
than basketball. In the first ever Proviso West Holiday Tournament in 1961, a pair of
All-Tournament selections went on to play professional football.
Quarterback Jim Hart
(Niles West) went on to a 19-year career in the National Football League with
the Saint Louis Cardinals (1966-83) and Washington Redskins (1984); and
Steve Smith (Maine West) played in 100 NFL
games on the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1968), Minnesota Vikings (1968-70) and
Philadelphia Eagles (1971-74), including playing in Super Bowl IV.
Andy Fredrick (Saint Joseph, 1971) was a nine-year NFL
offensive tackle,
playing for the Dallas Cowboys (1977-1981), Cleveland Browns (1982) and the
Chicago Bears (1983-1985).
Reggie Hayward (Thornridge, 1996)
also played nine years in the NFL as a defensive end with the Denver
Broncos (2001-04) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2005-09).
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Dave Wehrmeister was a member of the infamous Lyons
Township team that compiled a perfect 31-0 record during the 1970-71
season. Dave would later go on to a six-year Major League Baseball
career as a pitcher with the San Diego Padres (1976-78), New York
Yankees (1981), Philadelphia Phillies (1984) and the Chicago White Sox (1985).
Loyola Academy forward Dan Bellino
(1995) is currently an elite member of Major League Baseball's
umpiring staff.
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A number of former Holiday
Tournament players went into coaching. Dr.
John Giannini (Fenwick, 1978)
is the head basketball coach at La Salle University.
Jerry Wainwright (Morton West, 1962) was
head basketball coach at three Division I schools, including De Paul
University. Of course, Isiah Thomas
(Saint Joseph, 1978) was the head coach of the Indiana Pacers and New York
Knicks and Glenn "Doc" Rivers (Proviso
East, 1979) was head coach of the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics --
winning the NBA title in 2008.
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Current Washington Redskins
head coach Mike Shanahan, played for
East Leyden in the 1969 Holiday Tournament, and also had success with the
Denver Broncos -- winning two Super Bowl titles as their head coach.
And in baseball, Jeff Musachio (Saint
Joseph, 1991) is head coach at Oakland University in Michigan.
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Rick
Sund, an All-Tournament Team selection for Elgin in 1968, has
over 35 years of managerial experience in the NBA, as he served as General
Manager of the Atlanta Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics, and Vice-President of
Basketball Operations for the Dallas Mavericks. A pair of Fenwick
teammates also top the notable alumni list, as
John Planek,
is the Athletic Director at Loyola University in Chicago and
Jim Durkin serves as a member of the
Illinois House of Representatives in the state's 82nd District.
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Daniel
Nikcevich, M.D, Ph.D. (Lyons Township, 1978) was the Chief
Resident Physician, at the Duke University Medical Center.
Luke Sewall, M.D. (Lyons Township,
1979) played in the 1984 Rose Bowl with the Fighting Illini of the
University of Illinois and is currently an interventional radiologist.
Another Lyons Township player, Dino Panos
(1982) is currently senior partner of the Jenner and Block National Law
Firm.
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