Bill Seiple’s connection with Naperville Central started as a teenager and has continued through the decades. Originally a Redskin, Seiple played baseball and basketball at Naperville High School (now known as Naperville Central).  Graduating in 1971, Seiple continued his dedication to baseball during his post-high school career at Monmouth College, Monmouth Il.

Eventually, the love of the game brought Seiple back to Naperville to coach basketball at Jefferson Junior High School and to be an assistant coach for baseball at Naperville North. He then was named Head Coach for baseball at Naperville Central in 1982 and also worked at Central as a Social Studies teacher and later as a Dean.

Seiple’s baseball teams won over 700 games in his coaching career including two IHSA State Championships in 2006 and 2010.

“We had families that were champions and we always had athletes who were good.” Seiple said.

As a student athlete, Seiple knew how fortunate he was to attend a school with a prestigious athletic program.

“We always competed and every year we felt like we were going to win a conference championship and maybe have a chance to go to state, while there are a lot of schools that can’t think that way,” Seiple said. “At a very early age, I understood how lucky I was to be in here, and so on a day to day basis I never took that for granted.”

As a former student, Seiple reflected on how different the school environment and layout were back then.

“When I was a student here, first of all, we were it, Central was Naperville High School, and we went all the way to Farnsworth Avenue,” Seiple said.

While working at Central, Seiple never had a day when he wasn’t thrilled to come to work.

“There wasn’t a single day that I wasn’t excited to come here,”Seiple said. “I mean, I never worried or lamented about, ‘Oh I’ve got to go to work, it’s a terrible place.’ I love the people I worked with.”

Seiple retired in 2010. Seiple puts his family first, including his wife Nancy, two children and four grandchildren.

“The most important thing I am now is a grandfather,” Seiple said.

He also still works with kids on the basketball court and works with Major League Baseball.

“I have two things I am doing now,” Seiple said. “I am officiating high school basketball; I do that two of three times a week.  I am working part time with Major League Baseball, as an official scorer. [Last year] I had six games where I went down to the White Sox and the Cubs [games]. I was the guy that made the decisions for whether it’s a hit or an error.”

Bill Seiple’s dedication to Naperville Central has earned him a spot in the NCHS Athletic Hall of Fame, where he along with seven other alumni and coaches were honored for their achievements.