Faculty 1968 - 2000

Tom Maple was a staff member of Grant Community High School from 1968 to 2000. He taught physical education, health, driver education, and industrial technology for 25 years, and was a dean of students for 7 years. Mr. Maple served in a variety of coaching roles, including assistant track coach, assistant basketball coach, and served as the Boys’ Varsity Head Basketball Coach for 25 years. He experienced tremendous success on the court with 368 wins, the 2nd most in Lake County at the time of his retirement, and a record 25 years with the same coaching staff. Coach Maple led the Grant basketball team to 5 conference championships and 6 regional title wins, while also coaching several teams into IHSA Sectional Tournaments. He received the honor of induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Lake County Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. Mr. Maple continued his dedication to Grant Community High School student-athletes long after his retirement by serving as a volunteer coach for the boys’ basketball program. He was a dedicated mentor and role model to hundreds of student-athletes over the course of his career and had a special gift for making student-athletes, coaches, staff members, and friends feel like an MVP – Most Valuable Person.