Brian Wisher

Brian Dwight Wisher was born December 31, 1945, the son of Lyman and Margaret Wisher.  Lyman died when Brian was just eight years old.

Wisher was a standout multi-sport athlete at Stephen Decatur High School in Decatur, Illinois, moving on to play baseball at Illinois State University.

Upon graduating from Illinois State, Wisher took a teaching/coaching job at Flora High School, resigning after one year. That summer, he married Jeri Sterchi and spent the next year as a graduate student working on his Master's Degree back at Illinois State.

Wisher was hired in 1970 by Washington Community High School as a teacher, baseball coach, and assistant football coach.  He assisted with football from 1970-1982 under Bill Farrell and John Venturi, and as head baseball coach, Wisher recorded 281 wins over 17 seasons, including three regional championships.

In 1987, Wisher was elected to the park district board, and in 1988, Wisher was promoted to Dean of Students at WCHS.  This was a turbulent time at the high school, as during Wisher's seven-year tenure as Dean, he worked under four superintendents.

In 1995, Wisher made the surprising move to Assistant Principal at Springfield High School, with his primary function as the Athletic Director. He finished his career in Springfield, retiring in 2002, when he and Jeri returned to Washington.

Brian spent much of his time in early retirement as the volunteer groundskeeper for the baseball, football, and soccer fields at WCHS.

Jeri passed away in 2008, and the same year, Brian donated lights for the baseball field to the high school.

In 2009, Wisher ran for and won a seat on the WCHS school board, joining the board just after a failed referendum for necessary improvements.  The group then faced the difficult task of revising the plan so it could be resubmitted to the people.  The revision was subsequently passed in 2010, the same year Brian was given the Washingtonian Award.

Tragically, Wisher passed away January 10, 2012, from complications of a stroke suffered a week earlier.  He was 66 years old.

On May 18, 2012, the WCHS baseball field was officially christened Brian Wisher Field, and in 2018, Wisher was inducted into the WCHS Hall of Fame.