Alumni Hall of Fame

The 26th Plymouth High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Award was presented at the Plymouth High School Alumni Banquet held on Friday, June 20th.

Recipient of the award is Steve Yoder, Class of 1958.

Mr. Yoder’s accomplishments are: Steve Yoder was born on November 1, 1939, in Plymouth, Indiana to Newell and Patricia Yoder, the oldest of six children. He was a natural athlete who learned to love sports on the playground at Webster Elementary School. At Plymouth High School, he was a true student-athlete, demonstrating his leadership and work ethic by achieving academically as well as athletically. Active in student government, he was elected class president two years in a row. During his senior year in 1958, he represented the Plymouth community at Boys State, where he was elected Secretary of State. However, sports was (and still is) Steve’s passion. One classmate recalled a basketball game against Bremen High School in which Steve alone scored as much as the entire Bremen team. Despite all of his successes, his classmates remember him as a friendly, considerate, and humble person.

Steve earned a Bachelor of Science Degree at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1962 and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Secondary Education at St. Francis College. This led to his first teaching and coaching position at Glen Ellyn Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, from 1962-1965. In 1965, Steve returned to his roots and became the Plymouth High School head coach for basketball and baseball and an assistant coach for football. During his eight years at Plymouth, the basketball team went to several regional championships, beginning a tradition of excellence that continues today. Along with coaching, Steve opened Yoder’s Sports Center in 1970, a full-service retail sporting goods store that is still family-owned and located in downtown Plymouth.

Success as a high school coach led to opportunities in college coaching. Steve was assistant basketball coach at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina from 1973-1975. After a year as head basketball coach at Penn High School in Mishawaka, Indiana, Steve became the assistant basketball coach at Ball State University and then the head coach, serving in that capacity from 1977-1982. His years at Ball State saw the team claim a NCAA berth in 1981, several Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships, five straight first-division MAC finishes, and the first 20-win season in school history. Steve was twice honored as MAC Coach of the Year and recognized as the Ball State coach with the most wins since 1938. Ball State University recognized his accomplishments in 2001 by inducting him into the Ball State Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1982, Steve began a decade as head basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin, where he coached the team to its most wins in 48 years. Again he was recognized not just as a great coach, but as a person of integrity and leadership. He was named Basketball Times Midwest Coach of the Year in 1981, and in 1989 he was Big Ten Coach of the Year runner-up. As head coach of the Badgers, Steve guided his team to two NIT tournaments. During his stint at Wisconsin, he stepped into the role of broadcaster, hosting weekly statewide radio and television shows. He continued to influence younger athletes; his Steve Yoder Basketball Camps drew over 700 participants every year, and he traveled worldwide, coaching players from Syria to Japan to Hungary.

After coaching, from 1993-2000, Steve embarked on a career as a color analyst, working jointly for ESPN and the Big Ten for regionally broadcasted Big Ten Games. His expertise was also sought by the LA Lakers in 1996, and he was their Advance Game Scout until 2000. The Indiana Pacers hired Steve in 2000 as a full-time Player Scout. He worked in that position evaluating college talent leading up to the annual draft pick until 2003. After three years with the Pacers, Steve was offered a Player Scout position with the New York Knicks. He is currently in his fifth year with the Knicks.
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