Finalist - 2009 Coaches of the Year powered by Critical Reload

Wayne McClain is in his eighth year with the Fighting Illini coaching staff after a legendary prep career at Peoria Manual High School where he led the Rams to three-straight AA state championships in his first three years as coach. USA Today named his 1997 squad, led by future Illini Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin and Frank Williams, National High School Champions, and the senior McClain was named National High School Coach of the Year.

McClain is considered by many in the game to be one of the best basketball minds on the court.  It is said that McClain often knows the other teams’ tendencies better than they do.

Assistant coach Jerrance Howard, himself a highly regarded up and coming coach, attributes a lot of his success to what he has learned from McClain saying, “He’s the reason I have been successful….He raised the whole southside of Peoria.”