Springfield High School boys basketball coach Kevin Causley is in the midst of a two-game suspension after the Senators committed an infraction of the Illinois High School Association’s constitution.
Causley missed the Senators’ 56-45 win over Urbana on Tuesday, Jan. 6, and will also sit out Friday’s game against Decatur Eisenhower at Willard Duey Gymnasium.
A college player was invited to a team practice in a mentor role, District 186 spokesperson Rachel Dyas said in a statement released Thursday. That wasn’t a violation, until that person took part in a team drill.
IHSA bylaw 3.132 states, “Only bona fide students of a school may participate in a practice session for any interscholastic team sponsored by that member school.”
The bylaw has led to suspensions for other coaches in The State Journal-Register’s coverage area in the past.
In February 2010, Southeast coach Lawrence Thomas and Lanphier’s Chuck Shanklin were both suspended for that season’s regional basketball tournament after their schools self-reported violations to the IHSA. The next year, Petersburg PORTA wrestling coach Jeff Hill was suspended after alumni came back to practice against that year’s team.
The Springfield High boys basketball program has been placed on probation through the remainder of the season, according to 186’s statement.
“The probation does not impact the school’s IHSA membership privileges but serves as an official warning regarding future violations,” Dyas said in the statement.
“District 186 and Springfield High School immediately addressed the matter with Coach Causley and are fully compliant with the IHSA’s decision. In this case, an invited college mentor who was there to motivate our students to pursue higher level college opportunities participated in practice drills, which violates this bylaw.”
It is the second time the program has been placed on probation in two seasons.
Last year, the IHSA determined that then-coach Marques Warfield had violated bylaw 3.107, which limits the number of non-school practices and competitions. The IHSA ruled Warfield’s Frontline AAU team had more than the allowed number of players from Springfield High. The IHSA reduced the number of summer contact days from 20 to 15, suspended Warfield for the first four games of the 2025-26 season and placed the SHS program on probation through May 14, 2026.
Those sanctions ended after Warfield was dismissed as coach in May 2025.
“Springfield High School took steps to dismiss the coach who committed the prior infractions that resulted in the probationary status and were relieved of IHSA probation as a result,” IHSA spokesperson Matt Troha said Thursday in a separate email statement.
Probation itself doesn’t lead to any lost games, forfeits or postseason ineligibility. The IHSA describes it as, “an official warning that any further violation of IHSA bylaws or other rules of the association could bring more serious consequences.”
Causley is in his first year as a head coach. He was an assistant at Peoria Manual before he was hired in June. Springfield High is 10-5 overall and 4-1 in the Central State Eight Conference through Jan. 8.
Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield High boys basketball coach suspended for IHSA violation
Reporting by Ryan Mahan, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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