Basketball Hall of Fame

A 1972 graduate of Peoria Manual High School and 1977 Bradley University graduate, Wayne McClain enjoyed a nationally-recognized basketball coaching career at both the prep and collegiate levels.

Following 18 seasons as an assistant for Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Famer Dick Van Scyoc, culminating with the 1994 IHSA Class AA state championship, McClain succeeded Van Scyoc for the next seven seasons and led the Rams to the final three state titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997 during their unprecedented state championship four-peat. The 1997 USA Today National High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year, McClain’s Rams were USA Today’s No. 1 ranked boys basketball team in the nation in 1996-97.  The three-time (1995-96-97) Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, McClain led Manual to five straight Mid-State Conference championships from 1995 through 1999 and his teams advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in the IHSA Class AA state tournament in each of his first five years.

McClain joined the University of Illinois coaching staff in 2001 and helped the Illini to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the 2005 national championship game in St. Louis.  Following one year as the director of student-athlete development for men’s basketball at Kansas State, McClain returned to high school basketball as the head coach at Champaign Central in 2013.  He guided the Maroons to a 13-win improvement in his lone season on the bench before his untimely death in 2014.