Kershner earns national hall of fame honor

Legendary former basketball coach Ed Kershner, who continues to fight kidney failure from his Oviedo home, has been selected for induction into the National High School Basketball Coaches Association’s Court of Honor.

Kershner retired from coaching at Oviedo High School three years ago to close a career that saw him become the winningest boys basketball coach in state history with a 901-377 record in 45 seasons. He is the first Florida coach to be chosen for the NHSBCA Hall of Fame, which was created in 2012.

A total of 23 coaches over the past eight years were awarded the honor, which the NHSBCA web site states is based in part on the recipient’s impact on scholastic basketball nationally.

Kershner has won numerous coach-of-the-year awards, including national honors, and was head coach for the victorious

East team in the first nationally televised McDonald’s All-American Game in 1985.

“Obviously Ed has been very significant in the growth of our game and a legendary figure in basketball in the state of Florida,” said Tom Barrick, a Kentucky coach who is a vice president for the NHSBCA.

Kershner, 79, was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2006. He is also in the

Florida Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame, the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Legends, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I’m honored and blessed,” Kershner said of the new national hall of fame honor. “This has been a rather difficult time for me. But this is really something.”

The NHSBCA canceled its annual summer conference this year due to the coronavirus outbreak. It plans to recognize Kershner

at its 2021 conference next July in Cleveland.

Kershner has undergone daily dialysis treatments at home with the assistance of his wife, Joyce, since December and was hospitalized several weeks ago.

His coaching career began in 1971 in Kershner’s home state of Indiana. Kershner, who played college basketball at Florida Southern, returned to Florida to become head coach at Kissimmee Osceola in 1980 and led the

Kowboys to a championship

1982-83.

He was 247-75 in 10 seasons at Osceola and closed his career with a 454-153 record over 21 seasons at Oviedo — including a 2013-14 state title. Kershner He also coached at Port St. Lucie for four years and at Fort Pierce Westwood for two. 37-0 state season in