To add more to Corn’s incredible resume, Pinckneyville finished with 24 seasons of 20 or more wins under the man with his name on the court. From 1983-1995, the Panthers had 20-plus win seasons with two state final appearances and 11 regional championships. If you needed a model of consistency to lead a group of young men, it was Coach Corn.

“The tradition began with Duster Thomas and then Dick Corn continued that,” said current Pinckneyville coach Bob Waggoner, who Corn hired as an assistant coach in 2005. “Over a 50 year period, they’ve made Pinckneyville basketball what it is. Coach Corn laid down the groundwork not only in the school, but also in the community.”

Coaching has always been a part of Corn’s legacy. When he wasn’t coaching basketball, he was also coaching boys and girls cross country, on top of serving as an assistant coach for the football team.

Nowadays you can find the former coach dropping kids off at home from the school busses, while running basketball camps and individual shooting camps for kids. Even after spending 32 years of his life at Pinckneyville, the former coach can’t decide on his favorite coaching moment.

“I don’t think it can be one particular instance because it’s a combination of the entire experience for me,” said Corn. “This is what I chose to do and I don’t think I could have been placed in a better spot. It’s always been a wonderful experience having the support of the community, school and parents.”