Boys Basketball: Jim Nazos takes over at Batavia

Updated: June 28, 2012 4:28PM

Jim Nazos will keep teaching business classes at Wheaton North this coming year but is stepping down as boys basketball coach and will succeed veteran coach Jim Roberts at Batavia.

“I’ve been through a whirlwind of emotions,” said Nazos, who met early in the day with his Wheaton North team to inform them of his move and then later introduced himself to his future Batavia players.

“There isn’t a teaching position open for me at Batavia yet but hopefully in the next year or two something will open up. I don’t know if anyone has gone from coaching one team one day to another the next before.”

Nazos will be on the bench Monday night when the Bulldogs participate in the playoffs of the Geneva Summer League.

Nazos has directed the Wheaton North program for 12 seasons, winning three regional titles, one sectional title and one DuPage Valley Conference title with four runnerup finishes in the league.

“I think my record is something like 50 games over .500, 180-130,” he said.

Nazos grew up in Glendale Heights and graduated from Driscoll before going on to play point guard for four years at Benedictine, graduating in 1993.

“I am extremely humbled to be following Jim Roberts,” said Nazos. “I have the highest respect for him. I don’t think anybody can replace him and what he’s done. There’s a lot of traditions he’s maintained and helped build at Batavia that I’m learning about and I plan to carry on.

“One of the first questions I was asked was if I was going to change the uniforms (featuring short sleeves). Out of respect for the alumni and the tradition, the answer is no.”

Roberts stepped down in April after 27 seasons coaching the Bulldogs, citing “family health issues” that needed his attention. He finished with a 455-267 (.630) record and was the winningest coach in school history.

Nazos has been teaching for 17 years.

“I started, part-time at Driscoll my first year out of college and also ran the in-school suspension program at Glenbard North the other part of the day,” he said, noting he coached at the lower level at Glenbard North, too.

Nazos, who resides in Batavia, coached the Wheaton North sophomores for two years and was varsity assistant for two more before taking over the program. He and his wife, Lora, have three children: 9-year-old daughter Brooke and sons Nate (7) and Kyle (3).

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