Excellence in Coaching

Boys Basketball Coach Receives District Coaching Award

Rylee Campbell, Newspaper Staff • 238 Views

April 7, 2026

Charlee Ashley

Boys Basketball Coach Dusty Cole watches a play from the sidelines.

This year, Dusty Cole was awarded the District Coaching Award for his excellence in coaching throughout the basketball season. The HBCA, Hoosier Basketball Coaching Association, announced Coach Cole for this award after winning the best coach on the ballot.

The District Coach of the Year is voted on by all the coaches in a district. Every coach is on the ballot, and every coach gets a selection, and Cole got selected by a majority of the coaches voting in the ballot. When coaches are chosen for the award, they get the honor of being chosen, along with a certificate and a polo, and they are also named the Coach of the Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game. The All-Star game is an annual basketball event showcasing top senior high school players from Southern Indiana, which will take place on April 26th at Loogootee High School. Cole was honored to receive this award.

“It is an honor to be chosen for the award. Means even more that it is voted on by my peers and fellow coaches. From what I have seen, multiple things generally have to happen in order to be chosen for the award. Usually, winning coaches have to have an outstanding year with a great record and a bunch of quality wins. It also seems like the winners are usually at places that have sustained success. Not just a one-year wonder type of thing. In order for those two things to happen, you have to have great players, a great staff, and good support. I am very fortunate to have all three here at Paoli. So I don’t think this award is about me and what I’ve done. It’s a collective award. Credit should be given to our outstanding student athletes, what I feel is the best coaching staff in the state, and all of the wonderful people in our school and community who continue to support Paoli Athletics,” said Cole.

This is Cole’s first time winning this award. He has had an amazing season, and with great staff and fans, the Rams made it all the way to regionals. Cole is a great coach for the boys’ basketball team and will hopefully lead them to another great year of basketball next year.

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About the Contributors

Rylee Campbell, Newspaper Staff

8th Grader Rylee Campbell is not involved in any school sports; however, he is involved in the PHS Media Staff. Rylee enjoys playing video games, watching TV, eating, and sleeping. His favorite restaurants are Texas Roadhouse and McDonald’s. While watching TV, he often watches Stranger Things, Breaking Bad, and Adam Sandler movies. After high school, he plans to go to college, but he hasn’t chosen a major yet. After school, most days Rylee spends time watching TV, sleeping, or playing video games.

Charlee Ashley, Yearbook Staff

Freshman Charlee Ashley is a member of the PHS Media Staff. She is also involved in the Volleyball, softball, and basketball programs here. She has participated in those sports for about 7 years. In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Her favorite activities to do outside of school are kayaking and playing pickleball. Ashley’s favorite restaurant is Yamatos. She orders Chicken Yaki Soba with white rice. When she graduates, she plans to major in dentistry and obtain her license to work as an orthodontist assistant.