[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1429-1430]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING EDWARD J. MOLITOR, SR.

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Ed Molitor has been coaching basketball at 
Palatine High School for so long that when the local paper reported on 
his retirement, the sports trivia question it ran included the name of 
his predecessor.
  When Ed Molitor was in college, he went to a playoff game between two 
Chicago high school basketball teams--DuSable and DePaul Academy. He 
credits this game with altering the course of his life.
  At the time, Ed Molitor was a premed student at St. Procopius 
College. When he wasn't consumed with his studies, he helped a friend 
coach basketball at an elementary school on the city's south side. It 
wasn't until he watched the two high school teams battle it out on the 
court, though, that he realized medicine wasn't his real passion. It 
was basketball. Molitor transferred to Roosevelt University and shifted 
his focus to education.
  After graduation, Molitor started as assistant coach of the DePaul 
Academy High School basketball team. As assistant coach, he worked 
under Coach Bill Gleason, who became both a mentor and friend. Molitor 
went on to coach basketball at Marist High School on the southwest side 
of Chicago.
  In 1976, Molitor became head coach of Palatine High School's varsity 
basketball team. He stayed for more than three decades. During his 32 
years at Palatine, Molitor coached more than 700 athletes. He left an 
indelible mark on the players, the school, and the community. No fewer 
than 16 of his former players have gone on to coach high school 
basketball, and 5 currently coach collegiate basketball.
  On December 28, 2007, Coach Molitor earned his 500th career victory. 
When honored with the game ball at a postgame ceremony, Molitor 
admitted that he hadn't been aware he was approaching this impressive 
milestone until he read about the achievement in the newspaper.
  Throughout his remarkable coaching career, Ed Molitor emphasized 
achievement off the court as much as on it. In his own words, ``you 
have to convince a kid he's got potential, not only in athletics, but 
in other walks of life.''
  Coach Molitor emphasizes the mental elements of the game over the 
physical, and this approach has brought him and his players success on 
the court and in life. He has led teams to six conference 
championships, seven regional titles, and two sectional championships.
  I am happy to report that his peers have recognized Ed Molitor's 
skills. On two occasions, he has been named Coach of the Year by the 
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. In 1997, the association 
inducted Molitor into its Hall of Fame. Over the years, Coach Molitor 
has been selected to coach a number of regional, state, and national 
teams. He also sits on the All-State Selection Board.
  Ed Molitor has been a tremendous asset to Illinois high school 
basketball throughout his coaching career, but his greatest value has 
always been to his players. Today, I join the current and former 
members of Palatine High School's varsity basketball team in thanking 
Coach Molitor for his commitment to coaching and his passion for 
helping student-athletes develop character, discipline, and 
perseverance--skills that will prove valuable even after the season has 
ended.
  Mr. President, I congratulate Coach Ed Molitor on his accomplishments 
throughout his long and successful coaching career, and I wish him many 
more years of happiness and accomplishment in retirement.

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