WOOD RIVER - Jeff Ochs, who coached Civic Memorial to a 15-4 record in the second half of this past season and to the IHSA Class 3A sectional final, has been named head girls basketball coach at East Alton-Wood River High School.
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Ochs was officially named head coach of the Oilers' girls team at the May 5th meeting of the EAWR Board of Education, and succeeds Joe Parmentier, who retired at the end of the season.
Ochs took over as interim head coach of the CM team after the sudden resignation of former head coach Jonathan Denney and assistant Julianne Green on Jan 4 of this year, and coached the Eagles to a 15-4 mark in the second half of the season, going to the IHSA Class 3A Sweet Sixteen before losing to Highland in the Effingham Sectional final on Feb. 27 48-34. Mike Arbuthnot has recently been named head coach of the Eagles for the 2020-21 season.
Ochs is a graduate of SIU-Edwardsville, and began his teaching and coaching career in the Ferguson-Florissant School District in north St. Louis County. He began teaching at Trimpe Middle School in Bethalto in 2000, teaching physical education and also serving as head football coach. He began coaching the eighth grade girls basketball team in 2011, and has won eight conference championships, six Illinois Elementary School Association regional titles and two sectional crowns and a second place finish in the Class 4A state finals in 2009.
Ochs was also named Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2017, was a coach for the IESA All-State Classic in 2019, and has also served on the IESA basketball Advisory Board, and was also the Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Teacher of the Year in 2016. He also currently serves as the Trimpe Athletic Director.
In a press release issued by the EAWR Board, Ochs wants to continue on the recent success of the Oilers' program, and shares the philosophy of the board of how they want to play the game.
"During the interview process, it was obvious that coach Ochs shares our philosophy of how we want to play basketball here at EAWR," the release read. "He wants to continue to build upon the recent success of the Oilers Girls Basketball (program), and has a clear vision for the future of the program. His success as a coach and educator are a credit to his tireless work ethic and commitment to excellence, and we are thrilled to introduce him as the next head coach of the (Oilers Girls Basketball program).
The Oilers were 18-11 this past season, losing to Salem in the Carlyle regional semifinal. It was the team's best record since the 2004-05 season, when EAWR went 21-6.
