In a community with a rich tradition of legendary prep coaches, John “Joker” Harshbarger stands out not only for the success he had in the competitive arena, but also for the universal respect bestowed upon him by all he shaped. Coach Harshbarger came to Naperville in 1934 to work as an assistant coach under his brother, then-Naperville head coach Don, but he began to establish his athletic legacy long before his arrival. Harshbarger grew up in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, participating in football, basketball, and track as a teenager. He had an uncanny sense of “team” from a young age, even performing as his beloved Panthers’ mascot as a boy. As a student-athlete at Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Harshbarger continued to excel in football and basketball at the college level, where he was twice named to the All-Conference basketball team. Following two year coaching stints in East Prairie, Missouri, Fort Morgan, Colorado, and Salem, Iowa, Joker was an experienced, obvious choice to replace his brother when Don left Naperville in 1935 to become the head coach at Oak Park High School. For the next 16 years, Naperville experienced unprecedented success under the watchful eye and targeted training of Coach John Harshbarger. From 1935-1951, his Redskins compiled a record of 102-31-11, finishing as the Little Seven Conference Champions ten times and playing what was often referred to as “Joker-brand football,” characterized by hard-fighting, scrappy players. By all accounts, Harshbarger’s most dominant season came in 1948 when his squad finished 8-0-1, the only “blemish” coming in a 19-19 tie with Rock Island. 2013 Hall of Fame inductee Roger Dornburg starred in a backfield with All-State quarterback Elry Falkenstein to execute their coach’s tactical offense, called by The Naperville Sun’s Arley Harriman “the greatest offensive machine in the history of Naperville.” They decimated opposing defenses to the tune of 302 total points that season- a new school record. Harshbarger’s 1948 team was so preeminent that every single regular member of that squad earned All-Conference honors, and the team finished the season as the top-ranked team in Illinois. It is clear that Harshbarger meant more to his little farm community than just wins and losses. Upon his induction into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame- the first ever Hall of Fame honor for a coach from Naperville- Harriman also noted, “[…] Record books and statistics can’t measure the rare qualities that made John Harshbarger the gridiron mentor of that historic era. What penetrates deeper than any records, stats, or awards is the lasting effect this man had on the future lives of ever youngster he coached. Because Harshbarger instilled discipline, dedication, and respect for excellence, he not only developed quality players but added to their strength of character. […] He was the captain of his ship, an image every boy searching for his soul could respect. Through the game of football he taught the skills needed to win not only on the field but throughout life.” But Harshbarger’s success wasn’t just limited to the gridiron. His track teams also showed a discipline that reflected the work ethic of their coach, finishing in 2nd place at the state track meet in 1940 and producing the first State Champion in school history in John Zedrow, the winner of 1941’s 100 yard dash. He also coached 1948 pole vault champion (and fellow 2014 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee) Jerry Pickell. His teams garnered three District Championships and too many invitational titles to list. Five years after his retirement, the Naperville High School Booster Club sponsored “John Harshbarger Night” at St. Andrew’s Country Club. There still exists a copy of the program that evening, one in which a member of each of his seventeen teams wrote a tribute to him. In the preface of that program sits one of the most touching reflections of his coaching legacy; it reads, “The saga of John Harshbarger and his successes […] can best be read in the record books. […] That record is replete with conference championships, fantastically long skeins of wins, and massive offensive figures. And yet, that is only the story of John Harshbarger’s football skill. The record of John Harshbarger the man is still being written in the lives of others […] by men now playing on the gridiron of life.” Perhaps the greatest honor bestowed upon Coach Harshbarger by the Naperville Community came in 1976 when a committee of former athletes urged the school board to officially dedicate the stadium at a then-brand-new Naperville North High School “Harshbarger-Welzel Field” after John, Don, and Orville Welzel for the “sport and physical education traditions” they built. Looking at pictures of a young John “Joker” Harshbarger, one can’t help but notice the competitive fire that burned in the eyes of a young athlete and coach. Even more telling is the sparkle so evident in some of the more candid shots, showing a man who truly enjoyed life, competition, his Naperville community, and, most importantly, the athletes who were in genuine awe of their coach. In story after story featuring his many talented athletes, simultaneously fond and respectful references to “Joker” abound. As that 1956 program preface eloquently noted, “With John Harshbarger, as with all the great who leave a bit of themselves with their fellow men, his works live on and on. […] It is a little like the lyrics to the music someone once wrote… ‘the Song is ended, but the Melody lingers on…’"