Lewis Athletics
Luke Rinne, Director of Athletic Communications
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University men’s basketball head coach Scott Trost has been selected for induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Trost, now in his 15th season at Lewis, is the all-time winningest men’s basketball coach in Flyers history with 261 wins. He has coached the Flyers to five 20+ win seasons and five NCAA Tournament berths; averaging 19 wins a year. During his tenure, the Flyers have appeared in three Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) championship games, including back-to-back games in 2016 and 2017, and winning the GLVC title in 2016.
His teams have had individual success, as Trost has mentored 26 All-GLVC performers, eight All-Region players, six GLVC All-Defensive Team selections, six GLVC All-Tournament honorees, three GLVC Freshman of the Year, a GLVC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and three All-Americans. The Flyers have had at least one All-GLVC performer in each of Trost’s 14 seasons. He was named the GLVC and NABC Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2018-19 after leading the Flyers to their first GLVC Regular Season championship since 2003-04 and a final number one ranking in the NCAA Midwest Region.
Trost has been named the IBCA NCAA Division II Coach of the Year five times (2008, ’12, ’15, ’16, ’19).
Prior to arriving at Lewis, Trost enjoyed a highly successful tenure at Illinois Wesleyan, posting a 101-37 (.732) overall record and a 50-20 (.714) mark in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) during his five seasons as the helm. The Titans captured three consecutive CCIW titles (2003-05) and made four successive NCAA Division III Championship tournament appearances (2003-06) under his guidance.
The 2005-06 Titans were 25-7 and finished third in the nation, beating Amherst 71-68 in the NCAA tournament consolation game after being edged 81-79 by eventual national champion Virginia Wesleyan in the semifinals. Trost led Illinois Wesleyan to the Division III round of 16 in 2003 and 2004.
Trost was named CCIW Coach of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and IBCA Division III Coach of the Year four times. He coached two CCIW Most Outstanding Players, Keelan Amelianovich (2004) and Adam Dauksas (2005).
Trost owns 23 years of experience and a 413-241 (.631) overall record as a head coach. He tallied a 51-49 ledger in four seasons at CCIW member Elmhurst, including a 16-9 mark in his final year (1995-96). The Bluejays’ 10-4 CCIW record that season was the program’s best conference showing up to that point.
Prior to becoming head coach, Trost served three years as an Elmhurst assistant under Jim Whitesell, whose departure to become Lewis’ head coach in 1992 cleared the way for Trost to take over the top job. In Trost’s final season as assistant coach, the Bluejays were 19-9 – best in program history at the time – and advanced to the second round in their first NCAA Division III Championship tournament appearance.
“I am honored and humbled to be inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame,” Trost said. “I have been very fortunate to coach some extremely talented players while at Elmhurst, Illinois Wesleyan and now at Lewis. As the saying goes, you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I have worked with some outstanding assistant coaches, administrators and support staff that are very much a part of this honor.”
The time and date for the 2021 IBCA Hall of Fame Banquet will be announced at a later date.