MIAMI – While the Miami Heat’s victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night gave LeBron James his first NBA title, it was the second world championship Leesburg High School graduate Glen “Chet” Kammerer has been a part of. Kammerer, a 1960 Leesburg grad that went on to play and coach at Grace College, is the Vice President of Player Personnel with the Heat. Kammerer was also a part of Miami’s 2006 championship. After scoring 886 points in his varsity career for the Leesburg Blue Blazers, Kammerer was a star for the Grace College Lancers. His 2,504 points is still tops at Grace. At age 22, Kammerer took over the head coaching position in Winona Lake, leading the Lancers to a 183-105 record from 1965 through 1975. His best season as coach at Grace was 1970 – the senior season of current Lancers coach Jim Kessler – when the team posted a 26-6 record. After coaching at Grace, Kammerer led Westmont College to a record of 359-156 over 17 seasons. Westmont College later named the court inside Murchison Gym Kammerer Court. In 2000, Kammerer was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame for his playing and coaching accomplishments. Prior to joining the Miami Heat staff, Kammerer was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and later the head coach of a team in Germany. Kammerer’s son, Chad Kammerer, played for him at Westmont College and is currently an assistant coach for the Heat.
