John Hagelow “Jack” Burmaster Biography
John Hagelow “Jack” Burmaster, - Class of 1944 - b. December 23, 1926, d. September 27,
2005 From the EHS Yearbook, the Maroon: “Jack” Basketball, Hi-Y.
Mr. Burmaster was born in Elgin and went on to become an All-State basketball player at
Elgin High School. Jack Burmaster had the unique experience of reaching the finals of
the Illinois State basketball tournament as a player, a coach, and as a broadcaster. He
played varsity basketball at Elgin High School 1942—43 and 1943—44. In his junior
year the Maroons placed fourth at Champaign and the following year finished second,
losing to Taylorville which closed its season with a 45—0 record. Burmaster was named
to the Associated Press All—Tournament team in 1944 as he completed his prep career
with 188 points and a single game high of 16.
He played collegiately for the University of Illinois. While at Illinois, Burmaster played
the 1945 season with two notable future coaches, Johnny Orr and Vic Bubas.
He was selected by the St. Louiis Bombers in the 1948 BBA Draft.
Burmaster, at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, began his professional career with the Oshkosh
All-Stars of the National Basketball League during the 1948-49 season. He scored 360
points, fifth best on the team, in playing all 64 games for the All-Stars, who won the
Western Division championship with a 37-27 record, one game ahead of the Tri-Cities
Blackhawks and two ahead of the Sheboygan Red Skins. The All-Stars were defeated by
the Anderson Packers in the NBL finals.
When Oshkosh folded soon after the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of
America in 1949, he joined Sheboygan of the newly minted NBA. Burmaster became one
of Sheboygan’s best all-around players. Tenacious on defense, he was equally tough on
offense, averaging 9.8 points per game (598 points in 61 games). He was the Red Skins’
fourth-leading scorer.
John Hagelow “Jack” Burmaster Biography
In 1950-51, after Sheboygan was kicked out of the NBA, Burmaster continued to star for
the Red Skins of the National Professional Basketball League, scoring 467 points in 42
games, an average of 11.1 points per game. He was named to the NPBL’'s second team
and Sheboygan finished with the league’s best record at 29-16.
Burmaster was head basketball coach at duPont Manual High school in Louisville,
Kentucky for one season, 1951-52, finishing runner-up in the state championship to Cuba
High School.
From 1952-75, Burmaster was head basketball coach at Evanston Township, High School
in Evanston, Illinois , where his record of 362-145 included the 1968 Illinois state high
school championship. He served as athletic director at the school from 1975-85.
In 2006, Burmaster was voted as one of the 100 legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball
Tournament, a group of former players and coaches in honor of the 100 anniversary of
the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.
Jack Burmaster's passion for sports, and especially the Chicago White Sox, burned bright,
right to the end.
Staring at the TV screen, clicker in hand and frustration growing by the inning,
Burmaster's final memory of what he hoped would be a World Series season was the
painful 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
Sometime later that night, Mr. Burmaster, 78, died Sept. 27 in his sleep at his Glenview
home.
“I like to say it was the Sox that killed him,” his wife, Emily, joked. “He was such a
diehard fan.”
Mr. Burmaster was much more than a sports fan, however. He was responsible for getting
widespread recognition for Evanston Township High School basketball, coaching the
Wildkits to the school’s only state championship in 1968 with a 70-58 victory over
Galesburg. That team was led by forward Bob Lackey, nicknamed “The Black Swan,”
who would go on to play at Marquette University.
“I always thought Jack should have been coaching in college,” former Evanston wrestling
Coach Elias George said.
Mr. Burmaster arrived at Evanston in 1952 from Louisville. In 23 years, he compiled a
362-145 record, with four appearances in the state tournament’s Elite Eight.
“We didn’t always get along because he wanted the best athletes to only play basketball,”
said Murney Lazier, the football coach who led the Wildkits to 13 conference titles and
eight unbeaten seasons. “But he was a great coach. He was very good at game situations,
moving players in and out, and he out-coached almost everyone.”
John Hagelow “Jack” Burmaster Biography
In 1951, he went on a barnstorming tour of South America playing against the Harlem
Globetrotters.
He came home with an autographed photo inscribed: “To Senor Burmaster, Juan & Eva
Peron.”
Mr. Burmaster became Evanston Township High School’s athletic director in 1975 and
remained in that position until his retirement in 1985. He was well-known statewide as an
analyst on WGN-TV’s telecasts of the state basketball finals in the late 1960s and 1970s.
As a proud alumnus, Mr. Burmaster was in all his glory last year when the Fighting Illini
made the that memorable run to the Final Four and finished second to North Carolina.
Survivors also include a son, John; a daughter, Terry Clement; and nine grandchildren.
