Hall of Fame Inductee - Coach Sherrill Hanks

The colorful and outspoken Hanks fashioned a string of 22 consecutive seasons of 20 or more victories during his illustrious career, with 15 of those coming at Quincy High School from 1960-75. He posted a record of 354-89 with the Blue Devils - the winningest coach in school history - and guided seven teams to the Illinois High School Association state tournament, also tops among the school's coaches. Quincy High finished third in the state in 1962, and lost championship games to Collinsville in 1965 and to Dolton Thornridge in 1972. Hanks was responsible for helping to create the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, and he was later inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame. He was voted into the Quincy High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. After leaving Quincy High, Hanks spent 11 seasons as basketball coach at Quincy College, where he took five teams to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Association national tournament. The Hawks finished third in the country in 1978 with a 30-5 record, then the most victories ever recorded in a single season by an Illinois college team. He retired from coaching in 1986 and stepped down as QC's athletic director in 1992 after guiding the school through its transition to NCAA Division II status. Hanks coached his alma mater, Shurtleff College, before coming to Quincy. He compiled a 34-year coaching record of 730-258, one of the best in Illinois history.