Carmel basketball court named in honor of iconic coach Bill Shepherd

The REPORTER

The patriarch of Carmel basketball’s first family will now have his name forever etched on the Greyhounds’ court.

The court at Carmel High School’s Eric Clark Activity Center has been renamed the Bill Shepherd Court. Shepherd coached the Greyhounds from 1958 to 1970, leading Carmel to the state championship game in 1970. Two of his sons, Billy Shepherd (1968) and Dave Shepherd (1970) were named Indiana Mr. Basketball and a third son, Steve Shepherd, played for the Greyhounds’ first state championship team in 1977.

“Bill Shepherd left his mark on the Carmel community as an administrator, coach and visionary leader,” said Carmel principal Tim Phares, reading from a statement. “During a time when Carmel was a small town becoming a larger city, Bill laid the groundwork for the extra-curricular success at Carmel High School.”

Shepherd was named Carmel’s athletic director in 1961 and held that position until retiring in 1992. Phares said during that time, Shepherd “oversaw tremendous growth during an era where Carmel went from being a rural community to a rising suburb on the Indiana map.”

Shepherd was there when the Greyhounds won their first-ever state title: the 1970 boys golf championship. Carmel won 41 team state championships under Shepherd’s tenure.

“The Eric Clark Activity Center is one of the great venues for basketball in the state,” said Phares. “To honor the contributions and impact of Bill Shepherd with the renaming of the court would be a fitting tribute to an individual that helped place Carmel on the map as THE athletic powerhouse in the state.”