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George “Jeff” Carling came
to Centralia High School as head basketball
coach for the 1974-75 season. After
three consecutive sub-five hundred seasons,
Carling was the answer to a quick turnaround
in the CHS basketball fortunes. The master
motivator was quick to turn heads with his
racehorse-style of basketball and uncanny
sideline antics. While his showmanship
became the talk all around state, the
important thing was Centralia was winning
basketball games again and having a whale of
fun time doing it. Carling was named South Seven Conference
Coach of the Year in 1975. His three year
stay as the Orphans coach saw a total record
of 52-38. In 1988-89, Carling returned
to Centralia to take the reins of the
Kaskaskia College Blue Devil basketball
program. With the same flare and flamboyance
and his penchant for the value of team work,
he lead the Blue Devils to a total of 205
wins and 147 losses over the next eleven
seasons. His 1991 and 1998 teams were NJCAA
region XXIV and District IV (State)
champions.
The 1991 team finished 9th in
the NJCAA national finals with a 26-11
record. The 1998 team, with all Illinois
players, compiled a record of 33-5 and took
7th in the NJCAA national finals and also
captured the Great Rivers Athletic
Conference title. They were ranked 12th in
the nation at the end of the season. His
1992 team also captured a GRAC
title. Carling was named GRAC Coach of the Year in
1992, 1996, 1997, and 1998. He received
NJCAA Region XXIV, District IV and Illinois
community college Coach of the Year awards
in 1991 and 1998.
While at KC, Carling also
served as Athletic Director and Director of
Student Activities. He received the
Distinguished Service Award at KC in 1994.
He earned his B.S. in Speech Communication
and B.S. in Physical Education at Murray
State University in 1969.
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