The National High School Basketball Coaches Association, Inc. is teaming with the Wooden Legacy and Wooden family to present a John Wooden Legacy Award, for one boys coach and one girls coach in each state.

The National High School Basketball Coaches Association is asking the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association identify a legend coach for both boys and girls basketball from Ohio for their contribution to the game of basketball and the youth of Ohio.

The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) would like to announce the recipients of the John Wooden Legacy Award for the 2025 year. This year Norm Persin, former head boys’ basketball coach at Chesapeake High School, Oak Hill High School and current head coach at South Webster High School and Ed Zink, former head girls’ basketball coach at Beavercreek High School are the recipients of the award. Both recipients will be honored at Saturday’s semi-final game at their respective Ohio High School Athletic Association basketball state tournaments. (Girls – Sat., March 15 at halftime of 2 pm game; Boys – Sat., March 22 at halftime of the 10:45 am game)

    Norm Persin

(Chesapeake H.S., Oak Hill H.S. & South Webster H.S.)

Norm’s high school coaching career began at Gallia Academy as JV coach under Hall of Fame Coach Jim Osborne. Norm then began his varsity coaching career at Oak Hill for 6 years and Wilmington for 2 years. During those years Norm won 3 conference championships.

For the next 21 years, Chesapeake High School became the home for Norm and Panther Pride began. 16 league championships (12 consecutive) and 10 district championships took place. Five times the Peake reached the Regional Championship game. In 2005 Persin Court was named in Norm’s honor.

In 21 years, Chesapeake won 400 games and lost 85 for a .884%. In the year 2007 Norm returned to Oak Hill to take over a program that had some down times. In his first year at the helm, the Oaks won the district championship. (First in school’s history as well as the first ever in Jackson County for a boy’s team.)

The following year the Oaks reached the Regional Championship game and in 2009 the Oak Hill Oaks made history with a State Championship victory over Kalida. In 2013 Oak Hill reached the Regional Championship again. Norm currently is the head coach at South Webster H.S. and in his first year the Jeeps won the district and advanced to the regional final.

With an overall record of 801-226 in 45 years, Norm is currently #3 on the all-time win list in Ohio. His coaching awards are maybe more impressive and include: 2009 National High School Coach of the Year, Ohio’s Coach of the Year on 7 different occasions, coached in the McDonald’s All-American Classic in 2010 and the Jordan Classic in famous Madison Square Garden in 2007, and received the Paul Walker Award in 2001 for contributions made in the game of basketball.

Norm has been inducted into four Hall of Fames: Athletic Directors, Warren G. Harding High School, Chesapeake High School and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.

He has served as a OHSBCA district director for over 20 years while also helping to coordinate the Ohio-Kentucky game.

In 2013 Norm coached the first ever Ohio team in the National Federation Tournament in which the Ohio Team went undefeated. He has also coached in the North-South Game, Ohio-West Virginia Game and the Wendy’s Classic.

Success cannot happen without great people in the program. Coach Persin has been blessed with dedicated players and loyal assistant coaches that have made major contributions to greatness.

His greatest fans are his family. Rita Persin, his wife of 38 years, has supported Norm throughout his journey (or career).

His son Jimmy and his wife Nicole; daughter Haley and husband Marc along with 4 grandchildren Marley, Pierce, Jude and Miles keep his spirits up and help keep Norm young.

Other family members include his brother Dennis and sister Diane, both residing in North Carolina and Florida.

Ed Zink

(Beavercreek H.S.)

Ed was born and raised in Beavercreek and spent all twelve years of elementary and secondary schooling in the Beavercreek system. While in high school he participated in football, basketball, and baseball. He graduated from Beavercreek in 1970 and was inducted into Beavercreek’s first ‘Hall of Fame’ Class in 2000.

Coach Zink attended the University of Dayton on a football scholarship where he obtained his B.S. Degree in 1974. His senior year he was named MVP. and “Flyer of the Year” of the football team.

Ed taught business education and physical education in the Beavercreek City School District for 29 years and was the Athletic Director at Beavercreek High School for 7 years before retiring in 2011. Ed had 46 years of coaching experience.

His coaching has included football (assistant coach from 1975-1985), softball (head coach from 1975-1992) and girls’ basketball (head coach from 1975-2021).

He also guided the Beavercreek Softball Team to the State in 1983 losing in the State Semis.

Ed had a career record of 810 wins and 277 losses in girls’ basketball and was blessed to have many fine assistant coaches, mentors, and players over those 46 years. Without those assistant coaches and players, he would not have been nearly as successful. Therefore, to all of you a great Big Thank you! However, his career didn’t start off very well as his first 3 teams went 7-6, 3-11, and 1-19. That’s 11-36 after 3 years which now a days would probably get you fired! However, the Administration supported him thru those lean years, and he eventually got things turned around. His teams had won 110 consecutive league games.

The past Ohio winners are:

’21-’22: Boys: Bob Arnzen (Delphos St. Johns H.S.)

Girls: Dave Butcher (Pickerington H.S.)

’22-’23: Boys: Harold “Doc” Daugherty (Euclid H.S.)

Girls: Karen Wittrock (Lutheran West H.S.)

’23-’24: Boys: Joe Petrocelli (Alter H.S.)

Girls: Mary Jo Huismann (Mother of Mercy H.S.)

’24-’25: Boys: Norm Persin (Chesapeake, Oak Hill, South Webster HS)

Girls: Ed Zink (Beavercreek H.S.)

John Wooden Legacy Award Criteria

1. A basketball coach who was/is an Educator (Teacher, Paraprofessional, Administrator, AD

or other school personnel)

2. A coach who has displayed excellence on the floor, in the classroom and in the community.

3. A coach who embodies the characteristics that best describes Coach John Wooden.

(Education, Longevity, Character, Service, Excellence)

4. The recipient does NOT have to be an active coach.