John Bingaman

John Bingaman served as a longtime coach, teacher and administrator in the Kokomo
School Corporation. In 23 seasons, he served as a coach in five different sports and
ended his tenure in the athletic office.

Bingaman, who played football at Ball State University, served as the head coach of the
Haworth Huskies varsity boys golf and football teams before becoming athletic director
in 1974. When Kokomo and Haworth merged in 1984, he was named the first boys golf
coach of the new-look Wildkats.

It was on the golf course where he made the significant impact. Bingaman amassed a
228-83 lifetime record and led Haworth to a state runners-up finish in 1983. He then
guided the Wildkats to a pair of state championships in 1985 and 1986. The ’86 Kats
shot a 36-hole score of 607, which was 23 strokes better than the ’85 team and second-
best in IHSAA state finals history.

During his tenure, Bingaman was named conference coach of the year six times, won
four Olympic and two North Central Conference championships and led 13 squads to
the IHSAA state golf finals. He was inducted into the Indiana High School Golf Coaches
Association Hall of Fame in 1994.