Mentor Basketball Head Coach
Bob Krizancic
YEARS AS MENTOR HEAD COACH: 17
RECORD AGAINST THE LEL (at Mentor): 118 – 65
RECORD AGAINST INDEPENDENTS (at Mentor): 128 - 74
OVERALL COACHING RECORD: 460 – 228
OHSAA TOURNAMENT RECORD: 73 – 27
Beginning his 18th year as Mentor's Head Coach, Bob Krizancic has turned the Mentor High School varsity basketball program into one of the premier programs in Ohio. The team is coming off an unforgettable season that saw them win the Championship in the Surf and Slam Tournament in San Diego over the eventual state champion Massillon Jackson. The season culminated in an unforgettable comeback win over St Edwards in the Regional Final that led to a first ever trip to the State Final Four. Playing in the Lake Erie League (LEL), which is considered one of the toughest leagues in the state, as well as playing in national tournaments such as the Cactus Jam in Phoenix, Surf and Slam in San Diego, and Smith's Ragu Classic in Salt Lake City has permitted the Fighting Cardinals to improve their game. This concept of playing at the highest possible level of competition is a cornerstone of Coach Krizancic's coaching philosophy. As a result, Mentor's program has gained respect and attracted the attention of college recruiters at various levels.
Coach Krizancic began his coaching career at Girard High School, in the Youngstown area. At Girard, his teams won 11 sectional titles in a row and played for the district title six times, winning four. In 1993, Girard won the Division II State Championship beating Columbus Whitehall with Samaki Walker. In 1991-92, Coach Krizancic was the Head Assistant Coach for the Youngstown Pride in the World Basketball League. Since coming to Mentor, Coach Krizancic has installed an up tempo style of play based on solid defense, full- and mid-court pressure, and fundamental conditioning. The Cardinals have had a great run the past six seasons. They won three consecutive District titles 2001-2003, advancing to the Regional Finals in 2002. The Cardinals have won the Cactus Jam in Phoenix in 2000 and the Surf and Slam in San Diego in 2002 and 2009. They were ranked 5th in the state in 2001 and the 2009-10 team finished 5th in the AP poll at one point as high as 2nd. They were rated 4th in MaxPreps website out of 804 schools in Ohio, 9th in USA Today in the Midwest and the 14th in offense in USA- Massey Ratings. The 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 Cardinals won the Euclid District, advancing the Regionals. The 2009-10 team won the Cleveland Region to advance to their first ever State Semi-final, losing in overtime.
Coach Krizancic was named AP Coach of the Year in the state of Ohio after the 2007-08 season. The Lake County Coaches Association and the News Herald named Coach Krizancic Coach of the year in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2008. The Cleveland Plain Dealer voted him Coach of the Year in 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2008. He was also named LEL Coach of the Year in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2008. Coach Krizancic also coached in the News Herald and GCBCA all-star games in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2006 and 2008. He was named Greater Cleveland and NE Ohio District Coach of the Year for the 1999-00, 2001-02, 2004-05, and 2005-06 seasons. Coach Krizancic was one of the fifteen initial inductees named to the Girard Hall of Fame in 1997, was elected to the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. This past summer he was invited to coach in the prestigious Nike Camp in San Diego attended by LeBron James. During the previous eight summers he has coached All-Star teams in Florida, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Greece. In 2005, he coached in Vienna, Prague, and Budapest.
Coach Krizancic graduated from Youngstown State University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Math/Science, and also has a graduate degree in Secondary Administration. He currently teaches C.B.I. at the high school. His sons, Cole and Conner, play basketball in the Mentor system.
Coach Krizancic's coaching record by season:
1980-81 (1-19), 1981-82 (12-9), 1982-83 (20-4), 1983-84 (15-9), 1984-85 (17-5), 1985-86 (22-3),
1986-87 (16-7), 1987-88 (20-6), 1988-89 (15-9), 1989-90 (13-10), 1990-91 (8-14), 1991-92 (13-10),
1992-93 (22-6), 1993-94 (14-7), 1994-95 (15-8), 1995-96 (9-13), 1996-97 (16-8), 1997-98 (8-14),
1998-99 (13-9), 1999-00 (17-5), 2000-01 (21-4), 2001-02 (14-12), 2002-03 (18-7), 2003-04 (13-9),
2004-05 (17-6), 2005-06 (19-6), 2006-07 (11-11), 2007-08 (20-5), 2008-09 (18-7), 2009-10 (23-4)