For those fortunate enough to witness it, the Hillsborough High School boys basketball team’s victory in the 2014 Somerset County Tournament final remains a cherished memory—a moment when sports transcended the scoreboard.
That year, the Raiders stunned a heavily favored Gill St. Bernard’s team loaded with Division I talent, pulling off an emotional overtime win. But what truly made the moment unforgettable wasn’t just the underdog triumph—it was the man leading them: head coach Ian Progin, who had been battling stage four brain cancer for three years.
In 2011, Progin received a devastating diagnosis: glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor with a five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent. Yet, defying both medical odds and conventional expectations, Ian refused to step away from the game he loved.
While enduring grueling treatments—surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy—he remained on the sideline, leading, mentoring, and inspiring a team and community with his unwavering presence. That 2014 championship season, during the darkest of personal battles, became a beacon of resilience and hope.
“When we got to the county final, the five starters talked, and we said if coach can fight through what he’s been through, there’s no reason we can’t go out and win this for him,” said Matt Hornich, a senior forward on the 2014 team. “It showed us the odds don’t matter. If you want something, you can do it. He instilled that into us.”
Progin, a 1996 Hillsborough alum, had walked on to Rutgers University’s 1999-2000 basketball team. After college, he returned home to serve as a guidance counselor and basketball coach at Hillsborough, taking over the boys program in 2004. Under his leadership, a once-overlooked program steadily grew into a competitive force.
In 2015, his Raiders shocked the state again, winning the Central Group 4 title as a No. 13 seed, triumphing in four consecutive road games with a completely new roster. It was a fitting swan song to his boys’ coaching career—another underdog tale authored by a coach who knew how to inspire greatness in ordinary players.
“In all the years he was coaching while he had cancer, he only missed one game,” said longtime assistant coach Chris Fox. “There were days when you knew he didn’t feel well, but he did not let it show. He refused to let his illness slow him down. He loved Hillsborough, and coaching I think was a form of rehabilitation for him.”
Even after stepping away from the boys program, Ian couldn’t stay away from the court. He returned a year later to coach Hillsborough’s girls varsity team, guiding them to a Central Group 4 final appearance in 2020 before stepping away from coaching for good. In early 2024, Progin was inducted into the Hillsborough Athletics Hall of Fame—an honor that recognized his years of service, perseverance, and indelible influence on young lives.
Progin’s journey inspired an entire conference. In 2011, in response to his diagnosis, fellow Skyland Conference coaches launched the Coaches vs. Cancer showcase, an annual midseason fundraiser that continues to thrive. This year’s event raised $20,000 for the Rutgers Cancer Institute. “All of us drew inspiration from Ian,” said longtime Montgomery coach Kris Grundy. “To see him battle for as long as he did was amazing—it was remarkable.”
Ian Progin’s 14-year fight with cancer ended on May 2, 2024. He was 47 years old. He is survived by his wife Courtney, daughter Payton, and son Jeff, who recently scored his first goal for the Hillsborough boys lacrosse team. “Courtney wore a cape,” Fox said, highlighting the strength and devotion of Ian’s wife throughout his illness. “Ian always found time for his family, and they were his biggest supporters.”
Visitation will be held at Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Hillsborough on Tuesday, May 6, from 9:30–11:30 a.m., with a funeral mass to follow at 11:30 a.m.
Though gone far too soon, Ian Progin leaves behind a legacy of courage, perseverance, and compassion—a coach, mentor, and friend whose greatest victories were measured in hearts changed, not just games won.
