OFFICIAL NIKE GIRLS EYBL MEMBER
Ralph Gesualdo
17U EYBL Coach
Coach G founded Midwest Elite in 2010, after coaching in another local AAU program for many years. His teams have had success both in Illinois (state AAU champions in 2003, 2004, and 2005) and nationally, leading to the Nike sponsorship in 2014.
Coach G is recognized as one of the top AAU coaches in the nation, and he has a vast network of relationships with college coaches across the country. Coach G lives in Lake Forest, Illinois with his wife, and is a proud parent and grandparent.
Randy Weibel
16U EYBL Coach
Coach Weibel has over 600 wins in his high school coaching career, with multiple former players going on to play Division I basketball. He’s been a teacher and the head girls basketball coach at Hononegah High School in Rockton, Illinois for the last 18 years.
Prior to Hononegah, he was a teacher and head girls basketball coach at Mendota High School in Mendota, Illinois for 12 years. He lives in Rockton, Illinois with his wife, and is also a doting grandfather.
Kevin Cox
Coach, Director of Operations
Coach Cox graduated from St. Viator High School, and then Villanova University, where he walked-on the basketball team. After four years on the team, he spent 2 years on the coaching staff.
Coach Cox has been coaching on the AAU circuit for many years, and draws upon a coaching network of high school, college, and NBA coaches. He lives in Palatine with his wife and children.
Shawn Ortiz
Coach
Coach Ortiz has been coaching youth boys and girls basketball for more than 17 years, and provides skills training for middle school and high school players.
He has been involved with Midwest Elite’s program since inception. Coach Ortiz lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin with his wife and children.
Lamarcus Banks
Coach
Coach Banks has been coaching and developing youth basketball players for over 12 years. Coach Banks co-founded, directed, and coached his own AAU girls program West Suburban Dream from 2014 to 2019 which was the foundation for multiple players playing at the next level in college including division one. Coach Banks has a passion for player development on and off the court.
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Coach Banks lives in Aurora with his wife and children.
Eric Samuelson
Coach
Coach Samuelson is a 2nd career teacher and coach at Hampshire High School. He played both high school and college basketball in the Midwest. Coach Samuelson has served in multiple capacities at the high school level as a freshman, sophomore, varsity assistant and head varsity coach for the last 7+ years. His focus is on fundamentals, teamwork and getting the most out of his players. When he isn’t coaching, he works throughout the year with the Muscular Dystrophy Association in their pursuit to cure muscle diseases. He lives in the northwest suburbs with his wife and two children.
Jeff Pagliocca
Trainer
Jeff is an on the court skills trainer for NBA, College, and High School players. He trains High School players from over 60 schools across the Midwest and College players from every major conference. Each summer Jeff prepares NBA prospects for the June NBA draft.
Many Midwest Elite players train with Jeff on their own, so we decided to form a partnership. He runs training sessions for Midwest Elite once a week during the AAU season. You can learn more about Jeff at www.illinoisevolution.com.