

Hall of Fame
Since 1999, the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association has honored area coaches and individuals with induction into the GKCBCA Hall of Fame.
The criteria for selection include: minimum of 20 years as a head basketball coach (high school or college), with 15 years in the Kansas City area, a minimum of 300 career wins as a high school varsity or college head coach, positive role model for players, school and community; and achieved positive impact/influence on Kansas City basketball and their own program(s).
​
Class of 2024
Coaches
%20with%20GameOne%20reps.jpg)
Randy Draper began his head coaching career in Madison, Mo. He coached the girls’ and boys’ junior high and the boys’ varsity basketball teams. Draper also coached boys’ baseball in the fall and spring. After one year at Madison, he returned to the University of Missouri serving as a graduate assistant for two years under Coach Stewart. Draper then spent seven years in Camdenton before continuing his career in Grain Valley, Mo., where he has spent 24 seasons, and he continues today. In his 32 years as a head basketball coach, Coach Draper spent the first 19 years coaching boys and the last 13 years coaching girls. Draper’s teams have recorded 530 wins, with 420 wins at Grain Valley. His Grain Valley teams have won six District championships, five of which were with the girls’ teams. Two of his girls’ teams also advanced to the state quarterfinals. Draper was inducted into Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019. Coach Draper is the son of the late Jim Draper, a longtime basketball coach and the winner of the 2007 Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award. He is married to Michelle, and they have one son, Michael, who is a third generation coach.

Roger Stirtz was a part of Liberty coaching staff for 28 years, including 23 as the Head Coach. During his tenure, the Jays have amassed 430 victories 7 Conference Championships and 10 District Championships. In addition, the Blue Jays reached the Final Four on four different occasions, winning the State Championship in 2001. Stirtz was named the recipient of the Eddie Ryan Coach of the Year Award in 2007 and was inducted in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023. 'I would like to thank my wife Renee of 31 years, sons Mason (wife Carly), Caden (wife Kinsley), Bennett and Cooper and also my in laws Ken and Mary Russell who rarely missed a game. I would also like to thank my athletic directors Steve Butler, Mark Holderbaum, and Jason Cahill. Finally, thank you to all the tremendous families in Liberty who helped raise outstanding young men for our program to coach for 28 years. It was a blessing."

Rick Hetzel began his coaching career began in 1976 in the Kansas City area as a middle school basketball coach. Later, while attending the University of Missouri Kansas City Coach Hetzel became a student assistant for the men’s basketball team, moving to a full time assistant in 1985. Hetzel began his high school coaching career in 1986 as the boy’s JV coach under Mark Nusbaum at O’Hara High School. After starting a family of his own, Hetzel chose to begin his career coaching girls and became the girl’s JV coach at Notre Dame de Sion High School. In 1995 Coach Hetzel started teaching and coaching at Saint Thomas Aquinas and has been the head girl’s coach at Aquinas for the past 26 seasons. During his tenure Hetzel has accumulated a 534-102 record with 11 Eastern Kansas League Championships and a postseason record of 105-15. Aquinas has advanced to the state tournament all 26 years of his career there and has won 11 State Championships, including an undefeated season in 2011 and a run of 7 State Championships in a row from 2016-2023. Coach Hetzel and his staff have won the Eddie Ryan Coaching award 4 times and he was named the Midwest Coach of the Year in 2004. He is married to his wife Marcy and they have 6 children, 7 grandchildren, and one great big dog.

Mark Nusbaum has spent 41 years in coaching including serving as the JV Coach at O’Hara (2 years) and the Varsity Assistant at St. Thomas Aquinas (7 years) in addition to 32 years as a Head Basketball Coach. During those 32 years as a Head Basketball Coach, he served at 5 different high schools including Russell, IA (3 years); Albia, IA (2 years); O’Hara (8 years); Liberty (5 years) and Rockhurst (14 years). During this time he amassed an impressive record of 569 wins against only 278 losses. During this time he led his teams to 6 Conference Championships; 6 District Championships; 6 Final Fours, 3 third place finishes; 1 second place finish and captured 2 state championships at Liberty in 1998 (undefeated season) and Rockhurst in 2014. Nusbaum has received numerous Coach of the Year Awards during his career including the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA); Eddie Ryan and Paul Lambert awards. In addition, Coach Nusbaum was named to the MBCA Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Rockhurst High School Hall of Fame in 2023.
Players

Sarah Campbell
Central
Sarah Campbell is one of the pioneers of the sport of women’s basketball. As a freshman at Central High School, she led her team to the MO Class 3A state championship. She received national recognition during her high school career being named an All-American and set a single game scoring record (for both boys and girls) with 54 points. Upon arriving at the University of Missouri she was a 4-year starter, and was named the MVP of the Big 8 tournament. Campbell was also selected to represent the United States as a member of the ABA-Jones Cup where she played a key role averaging 10 points and 10 assists as they captured the gold medal. This effort helped earn her an invitation to the 1984 US Olympic Team tryouts. Campbell then embarked on her professional career and spent a year with the Swedish Foundation where she averaged 30 points per game. Upon returning to the US, she joined the WBA Missouri Mustangs where she continued to set scoring records. Campbell was a 3x MVP and 4x All-Star before retiring and moving on to the coaching ranks. Her coaching career included time at the high school and college levels before moving on to the professional level with the Kansas Nuggets. Campbell then made the transition to the ownership ranks with the Kansas City Majestic. As a player, coach and owner during her career she has served as one of the “Trailblazers” for the sport of women’s basketball and has been honored as such by the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League alongside other women including Lynette Woodard, Lisa Leslie and Tamika Catchings. Currently, Campbell serves as a National Customer Service Manager for Quest Diagnostics.

Jaron Rush
Pembroke Hill
Jaron Rush is one of the most highly decorated high school basketball players ever at both the local and national level. At the local level, he led his team to a record of 112-9 and scored an incredible 3,387 points. He was a 4x selection to the All-Metro and 1st Team All-State teams and is the only 3-time DiRenna Award winner in the 71-year history of the award. At the national level, Rush was selected to the McDonald’s All-American Game, was a 2x Parade All-American, Junior Olympics MVP in Paris, France his sophomore year and was ranked #1 in the nation as an 8th grader through his junior year. Currently, Jaron owns and operates Rush Training KC where he trains both boys and girls beginning at the youth level all the way through high school, college and the professional ranks on all things related to basketball including footwork, shooting, defense and ball handling. Jaron is grateful for love and support of his wife and children, Shea, Talia and Taytum.