INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana high school basketball coaching legend Ed Siegel has died. His family confirmed his death, which was the result of COVID-19.
A member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Siegel coached 25-seasons at Pike High School in Indianapolis, and eight years at three other schools. His teams won 458 games.
Among Siegel's players at Pike was Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, who issued this statement Thursday:
For anyone who ever had Ed Siegel in class or on the court, yesterday, we lost a legend to heaven's call.
If you knew this larger than life Indianapolis Pike High School teacher & coach, please take a knee in prayer for the Siegel family. “Coach” commanded attention whether you liked it or not, especially if you were a referee.
As his students, we revered him. We looked forward to “Econ” class because of his presence, more so than the subject matter of the day. He was a quote machine. One of the last things he ever said to me was, “Holcomb, you could never jump over a dime”, and of course he was right. We always hung onto his every word and wanted to live up to his expectation for ourselves. Besides, he demanded it.
For many, his influence was next to parental. He gave his heart and soul to Indiana and the game Hoosiers are famous for around the world.
It’s only fitting he played such an integral role in establishing the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame.
There will never be another like Coach Ed Siegel.
We will miss him and honor his legacy by still seeking to never let him down.
Siegel was a 1950 graduate of New Albany High School and a graduate of Franklin College.
For more on the life of Ed Siegel, click on this link from the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1997.
https://www.hoopshall.com/hall-of-fame/ed-siegel/?query=name.eq.Ed%20Siegel&xsearch_id=HallofFame2_Last_Name&xsearch[0]=Ed%20Siegel&back=HallofFame2
