Today, gym-rat-turned-basketball-globetrotter Kevin Cook ('83) was announced as the 2010 Urbana University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. Cook will become the 33rd member of the University's Athletic Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony on campus on October 9th.

In the fall of 1979, a freshman gym rat joined the Blue Knight men's basketball team at Urbana University and began a remarkable career that developed into a lifelong dedication to his sport. The youngster spent most of his first collegiate season observing future UU Hall of Famers Dave Gustin, Mike Rengert and Coach Bob Cawley toil away to a 14-win season. On a young and talented team, the freshman quickly realized that he had more to offer as a coach than as a reserve for the Blue Knights. The following year, the Fremont, Ohio native began an unassuming career as a basketball coach that would later take him across the globe spreading a wealth of basketball knowledge to players from almost every level of the sport.

Dave Ross, a 1976 graduate of Urbana and current University Trustee and Hall of Fame Chairman, administered the nomination and selection process. "Kevin Cook is both an appropriate selection and an amazing personal story," explained Ross. "He knew that coaching was his vehicle to stay in basketball and make a lasting contribution to the sport. I'm especially impressed that he refers to himself as 'a proud graduate of Urbana University.' He reflects well on our institution."

Although Cook's Blue Knight playing career may have been brief, his coaching career has been anything but. Cook began coaching as a collegiate sophomore assisting the Graham High School girls' team to a District Championship and Regional Final appearance during the 1980-81 season. The following year, Cook landed a position as an assistant coach for the UU women's basketball team. At the same time, Cook founded Urbana's AAU basketball program and experienced immediate success with the local girl's team. Cook coached the team to back-to-back state championships and appearances in the national AAU tournament. Cook wrapped up his Blue Knight career as a senior assisting Coach Cawley and the men's team that he had played for just three years prior.

"Kevin may not have been heavily recruited by us before the Fall of 1979, but no other Urbana University graduate has carried our name, integrity and character to so many countries across the globe." explains Cook's former coach and mentor Bob Cawley, who was inducted into the UU Hall of Fame in 2005. "I was very happy to recommend Kevin for entry into the Urbana University Hall of Fame."

After graduating from Urbana in the spring of 1983 with a degree in Social Science, Cook earned a spot on the coaching staff of the women's basketball team at the University of Kansas. He spent the next decade in Lawrence, Kansas, serving as an assistant on 4 conference championship teams.

In 1993, Cook secured his first head coaching gig at Garden City Community College, where he promptly coached the Broncbusters to a 20-win season and a #12 national junior college ranking in just two years.

In 1997, Cook took his coaching career to the professional level after the formation of the WNBA. During the league's inaugural season, Cook served as an assistant for the Houston Comets under Naismith Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor. The Comets won each of the league's first four championships, all with Cook on the sidelines.

Over the next decade, Cook continued to coach for the Comets while also exploring opportunities overseas. In 2006, he became the Head Coach of the Nigerian Women's National Team. Cook's team competed in the 2006 World Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The following year, he led Nigeria to a 7-1 record and a silver medal in the All-African Games in Algeria.

Cook has conducted clinics and camps in more than 15 countries on every continent except Antarctica, but the charismatic coach always found a way to cross cultural borders with the language of the game. His communication skills were put to the ultimate test with his latest stop at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.

The small Division III school is the world's only college exclusive to deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and Cook arrived on campus without knowing sign language. Only seven players showed up to his first practice, and the program had won just 17 of 128 games in the five seasons prior to his arrival.

Trying to turn around a struggling program while learning to communicate without speaking was difficult in its own right, but after his first year at Gallaudet, life delivered Cook another obstacle. At age 47, Cook was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. To many, the test of trying to overcome Parkinson's to speak with your hands and teach basketball might have been too much. For Cook, who always preaches hard work and effort to his teams, it was just another challenge to confront and conquer.

Cook's team learned to read through his occasional "stutter" during his signing, and together they resurrected the women's program in just three short years. The Bison just completed the first winning season in more than a decade at Gallaudet, posting a 14-12 record that included the end of a 66-game conference losing streak and an appearance in the conference post-season tournament.

The team's success on the court came despite the loss of their coach's sister in a December house fire seven games into their season. Cook credits his team for rallying around him and helping him through his difficult time. The Bison played inspired ball for their coach, finishing undefeated in the month of December while organizing clothing drives to help Cook's family through the tragedy.

"Kevin Cook's ability to overcome adversity and succeed at any level anywhere in the world is an inspiration to all," adds Urbana University Athletic Director Doug Young. "His legacy is a beacon for our student-athletes to follow, and he will be a great addition to the proud tradition of our Athletic Hall of Fame."

This past spring, Cook was honored at the NCAA Women's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas with the Carol Eckman Award for his work with the women's program at Gallaudet. The Carol Eckman Award is presented annually to an active WBCA coach who exemplifies Eckman's spirit, integrity and character through sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose.

The induction of Kevin Cook into the Urbana University Hall of Fame will take place following the Blue Knights' homecoming football game on Saturday, October 9th. The Blue Knights take on their new GLFC conference foes from Kentucky Wesleyan College at noon. The induction ceremony is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes after the football game in the Urbana University Student Center.