City/Suburban Hoops Report Coach of the Year: DePaul Prep's Tom Kleinschmidt

A decade ago Tom Kleinschmidt was just outside Milwaukee at the home of Buzz Williams, then the head coach at Marquette. There were basketball coaches getting together from all levels in what was basically a coaching symposium.

A question was directed at Kevin O’Neill, the former college coach who had coached at Northwestern and was then coaching at USC. “When did you become the best defensive coach in the world?” he was asked.

“I remember O’Neill saying ‘It was out of necessity,’” Kleinschmidt says of that back-and-forth dialogue among coaches.

“O’Neill said that when he was at Tennessee and was averaging 35 points a game in the SEC and had no one to score, he had to change his philosophy as a defensive coach,” Kleinschmidt said. “That rang a bell and stuck with me.”

At the time, Kleinschmidt said his own team was scoring 20 points a game in those early years as head coach. Soon enough the culture in his program became about defense.

As a result, Kleinschmidt’s DePaul Prep program has become a defensive stalwart and a legitimate basketball power in the state. The Rams have won back-to-back state championships, finishing the season 35-2.

Kleinschmidt has been on a remarkable run, culminating in being named the 2024 City/Suburban Hoops Report Coach of the Year, just the third coach in the 29-year history to be a two-time winner.

DePaul Prep didn’t have the Catholic League Player of the Year, and they did so this season without a Division I senior star. There are some underclassmen with Division I potential, including 6-7 sophomore Rashaun Porter being arguably the best prospect in the program, but it’s not a team brimming with overwhelming individual talent.

They did so while moving up a class, becoming the first program in state history to repeat in a larger class.

“Our kids heard a little about moving up to 3A, how it would be different for them, how they wouldn’t win it moving up,” Kleinschmidt said. “But they wanted to prove they could win while moving up. I do think there was a chip on their shoulders playing in 3A. It means the world to win a title in 3A with the teams and coaches we beat.”

They won a state title and lost just two games this season, those coming to Homewood-Flossmoor and Normal, the two Class 4A finalists while playing shorthanded. It’s a team that didn’t receive a ton of preseason hype. Although DePaul Prep was ranked No. 13 in the preseason Super 25, there were three Catholic League programs, Mount Carmel, Brother Rice and St. Ignatius, all ranked above the Rams.

“Those Catholic League teams all picked and ranked ahead of us were all over the locker room walls,” Kleinschmidt said.

DePaul didn’t lose a game in the Catholic League, arguably the best conference in the state this year.

“What he’s done is get teen-aged kids to buy into a program,” said Mount Carmel coach Phil Segroves, who lost to DePaul Prep in the Catholic League finale and the Class 3A state championship. “It’s a program, not just a team. Those kids aren’t into individual stats. Tom gets young men to buy into team concepts, team basketball. You see it over and over again, and it’s the ultimate compliment, especially in today’s basketball world.”

Kleinschmidt has made adjustments in his coaching, both over the years and this past season.

For years he believed in what he calls “the old school Bobby Knight three-hour practices.” Kleinschmidt has changed that to an extremely engaging one hour and 45 minutes of precise practice time.

“That kept us sharp, that kept us loose, that kept us conditioned,” Kleinschmidt says of the shorter practice time.

Then there were the adaptations he made this season due to injuries. Using the words of O’Neill, Kleinschmidt again calls it “changing out of necessity.”

Rob Walls, a starting junior guard and defensive dynamo, went down with an injury before Christmas. That forced Kleinschmidt to revamp his lineup and completely alter how he prefers to play.

“We had to go big, and I don’t like playing big in high school,” Kleinschmidt said. “We always play four guards and a big, but at Christmas we were forced to go big. I was very uncomfortable.”

Kleinschmidt was concerned his defensive principles –– switching, forcing long possessions, running opponents off the three-point line, keeping teams out of the paint and preventing ball reversals –– would be jeopardized. Would his team continue to be the defensive juggernaut while playing big?

“Then we won the Christmas tournament,” Kleinschmidt said. “We found a new way to play. We now had a couple of different ways to play — play big or when we were healthy with four guards, causing havoc. The coaching staff found something we wouldn’t have found without that injury. I was not confident going into Christmas playing a big lineup because we’ve never done it, and I think it was the turning point in the season.”

That type of defense is taught and preached; it’s become the vernacular of DePaul Prep basketball. The switching to deny and keeping the ball on one side of the floor becomes a thing. DePaul Prep defense is unchanging in its relevance and is truly a monolith when facing it.

“It’s pounded into them,” Kleinschmidt says of the defensive philosophy. “The culture [of the program] became about defense and now we have more talent to go with it.”

Walls and veteran big man Jaylan McElroy formed quite the defensive duo. Leading scorer PJ Chambers averaged just 12 points a game, but he was such a steady, reliable senior guard. Holmes became more impactful as the season wore on, while junior point guard Makai Kvamme shined, especially in the postseason.

“We were a phenomenal practice team,” Kleinschmidt said. “I could count on one hand the amount of bad practices we had all season. As a result, I was more confident in the trust I had in this team than any team I’ve coached.”

The coach leading them built the foundation and continues to set the tone for a program that is now among the state’s elite.

Past City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Coach of the Year

2024: Tom Kleinschmidt, DePaul Prep

2023: Jim Thomas, Downers Grove North

2022: Jason Opoka, Glenbard West

2021: Tom Kleinschmidt, DePaul Prep

2020: Tai Streets, Thornton

2019: Mike Oliver, Curie

2018: Mike Ellis, Evanston

2017: Mike Healy, Wheaton South

2016: Gene Heidkamp, Benet

2015: Phil Ralston, Geneva

2014: Tom Livatino, Loyola Academy

2013: Mike Taylor, Marian Catholic

2012: Robert Smith, Simeon

2011: Scott Miller, Glenbard East

2010: Gene Heidkamp, Benet

2009: Ron Ashlaw, Waukegan

2008: John Chappetto, Richards

2007: Pat Ambrose, Stevenson

2006: Gordie Kerkman, West Aurora

2005: David Weber, Glenbrook North

2004: Roy Condotti, Homewood-Flossmoor

2003: Bob Curran, Thornwood

2002: Rick Malnati, New Trier

2001: Conte Stamas, Lyons Twp.

2000: Dave Lohrke, Glenbard South

1999: Gene Pingatore, St. Joseph

1998: Mark Lindo, Naperville North

1997: Gordie Kerkman, West Aurora

1996: Rocky Hill, Thornton