The eighth biggest story in Hillcrest Academy Raven sports from the last year takes us to Dwight Gingerich Court at Hillcrest Union to talk about the man who’s signature graces the floor. Hillcrest Academy’s Dwight Gingerich climbed into rarified air on the all-time boys Iowa high school basketball coaching wins list this season.

Following the 2024-25 year, Gingerich had compiled a record of 759-239 during his head coaching tenure at Iowa Mennonite School/Hillcrest Academy. That puts him fourth on the all-time Iowa wins list. At the close of the season, he had the second most wins of any active coach, trailing only Mitch Osborn of Harlan with 783. Retired coaches ahead of Gingerich include Fred Parsons with 784 and all-time leader Bob Hilmer with 917. Gingerich has the most wins in state history for a coach who has spent his entire career at one school. Of the six coaches in the 700-win club, which also includes Dan Beck, who Gingerich passed this season, and Al Marshall, Gingerich has gotten there in the second fewest number of years on the sidelines, 42, and second fewest total games, 998, trailing only Osborn. He holds a 76% winning percentage, second highest of the members of the 700 club.

His teams have averaged 18 wins per season. Only four times have his teams finished under .500, none since 1996, a string of 29 consecutive winning records. His squads have won at least 15 games in a season 31 times, and at least 20 games 21 times. Gingerich has led the Ravens to 12 state tournaments, finishing runner-up in Des Moines four times and winning the 1992 Class 1A State Championship. In 2015, he was honored by the IAHSAA for his 600th win during the boys State Tournament. He was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2024. Gingerich is a 1976 Iowa Mennonite School alum.

At the close of the school year, Gingerich retired from his position as head coach of the Ravens and principal at Hillcrest Academy. He will begin work at Goshen College in Indiana as Athletic Director and head men’s basketball coach for the Maple Leafs this fall. Our Hillcrest athletics countdown continues Thursday as we highlight the girl’s soccer program the Ravens share with Mid-Prairie.