Bellevue's Santoro named Coach of the Year in Div. IV

Bellevue has gone from a name known around northwest Ohio to a much-talked about school around the state. Kory Santoro is at the head of the program and was announced as the Division IV Coach of the Year by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association. Santoro is assisted by Troy Stamm and Mike Strayer. "Winning this comes from having good players, a good program and good assistant coaches," Santoro said. "Those people help you win awards like this. I'm not Coach of the Year without them." The Lady Red finished 29-1 this season, falling in the Division IV state title game to Laurel. Bellevue won its 16th-straight league championship this season. The Lady Red defeated numerous high-quality, state-ranked teams this season. Bellevue is 57-2 since the beginning of the 2024-2025 season. "I think we are becoming known throughout the state," Santoro said. "A lot of teams are paying attention to what we're doing. Coaches are seeing what Bellevue is doing. That comes with the grind every day and the girls working hard to get that skillset." Santoro is 271-44 after his 12th season at the helm of Bellevue. In his time, the program has won 11 sectional championships, eight district titles, two regional titles and the 2025 Division IV state championship. The Lady Red have won at least 20 games in 11 of Santoro's 12 years and at least 25 games three times. The program has seen numerous girls named all-Ohio and played collegiate basketball. "I don't think the level of expectancy and consistency has changed from my first year to now my 12th year," Santoro said. "We have preached the same things. I think younger kids are paying attention. Those kids are taking it to the next level. They're learning from a younger age and they work extremely hard." Santoro has no plans of stepping down. The support at home from his wife, Betsy, allows him to spend the time in the gym needed to build a quality program. "My wife allows me to do this," Kory said. "She's a big reason why this happens. I have a good support system. They know the passion I have and my family supports it. "I'm here for the next few years."