West Aurora High School / 1201 W. New York St. /Aurora, IL 60506
Ph. 630-301-5600

Head Varsity Coach: John Reeves
8th Season - 1st as Head Coach
Aurora University '01

John Reeves takes over the reigns of the West Aurora Baseball Program in 2007-2008 after working alongside long time Head Coach Dave Rowell for 2 seasons.  Prior to moving to the Varsity level, Coach Reeves spent 4 seasons working with Coach Bill Mitchinson at the Sophomore level.  Prior to joining the Sophomore staff, he served as an assistant at the Freshman level under Bob Cofield during the 2001 season.

Coach Reeves returns to the program in which he played from 1993 to 1996.  At West Aurora, Coach Reeves played on the 1994 West Aurora team that set a school record in wins with 32.  He was an All-Conference player 3 years (1994-1996) and All-Area player 2 years (1995 & 1996).  After ending his career at West Aurora, Coach Reeves played baseball at national power Aurora University where he was a 3 year starter for the Spartans.  His teams went to the Div. III World Series twice, finishing 4th in the Nation in 1998 and 7th in 1999.  He was a captain of the team in 1999 and 2000 and finished his 4 year career with a record of 142-33-1, finishing with 4 straight conference titles and NCAA regional appearances.  He was named All-Conference his senior year (2000), All-Conference Academic (1998 to 2000), and GTE CoSIDA Academic All-American (2000).  Also, while at AU, he established both career and single season records for hit by pitch and on base percentage.  Coach Reeves received his B.A. in History in 2001 and his Masters in Teaching in 2005.

Coach Reeves has been serving as a Social Studies teacher at West Aurora since the 2001-2002 school year.  Coach Reeves has worked alongside Coach Kakoliris since the summer of 2002 with the Varsity Summer Team.  Besides coaching at West Aurora, he has also worked with Aurora University’s catchers since 2003 as well as helped with Aurora University's hitting and summer camps.  

Tony Kakoliris enters his 1st season as the Head Sophomore Coach after spending the previous 2 working with Coach Bill Mitchinson at the Sophomore level.  Prior to moving to the Sophomore level Coach Kakoliris spent the previous 2 seasons as the head freshman coach.  Coach Kakoliris took over for Bob Cofield at the beginning of the 2003 baseball season.  While being a member of the Freshman Staff, his teams finished three seasons with 20 or more wins.  Prior to becoming the Head Coach of the Freshman team, he served as an assistant for two seasons.  Before coming to West Aurora, Coach Kakoliris coached at DeKalb High School, his alma mater, from1990-2001.  While at DeKalb he served as an Assistant Sophomore Coach (1990), Head Sophomore Coach (1991-2001), and Varsity Assistant (1990-2001).  While coaching at DeKalb, he ran the High School Summer Program for the Barbs from 1991-2001.  Also, while at DeKalb, the 1995 team made it to the Elite Eight and played at Kane County’s Elfstrom Stadium.

Coach Kakoliris is a native of DeKalb, IL where he was a pitcher on the DeKalb High School Baseball Team.  After graduation from DeKalb H.S. in 1986, he headed east to the campus of Waubonsie Community College in Sugar Grove where he played two seasons for the Chiefs and Dave Randall.  While at Waubonsie, his 1989 ballclub won the Skyway Conference.  He received his Associates Degree in Science from Waubonsie in 1989.  In 2001, he earned his B.A. in Health from Northern Illinois University.  In 2005, Coach Kakoliris received his Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.

Coach Kakoliris has been serving as a Health Teacher at West Aurora since the beginning of the 2001-2002 school year.  Prior to becoming a teacher at West Aurora he served as a teacher’s assistant from 1994-2001 at DeKalb High School.  While at West Aurora he has run the summer baseball program, working alongside Coach Reeves, since the summer of 2002.  He and his wife Debbie along with their new son Paul live in DeKalb.

Head Freshman Coach: Dave Pauley
28th Season
North Central College '77

Dave Pauley enters his 28^th year coaching baseball at West Aurora High School and 3rd as the Head Freshman coach after spending 15 seasons at the Varsity level.  Prior to becoming a Varsity Coach, Coach Pauley served as both a Freshman and Sophomore Coach. 

Coach Pauley returned to his alma mater where he was a standout player on the baseball field as well as the gridiron from 1970-1973.  While at West Aurora, his baseball teams began what would become a strong tradition on the West Side of Aurora.  In 1973, his senior year, the Blackhawks placed 3^rd in the state.  He was an integral part of the beginning of West Aurora Baseball, which had only started in 1969.  After graduating from West Aurora in 1973, he went to Illinois State University to play football but after a year in Normal, Coach Pauley found himself at North Central College in Naperville.  At North Central, Coach Pauley would excel on the gridiron as a Defensive Back delivering crushing blows to his opponents.  Coach Pauley graduated from North Central College in 1977 and began his teaching career in the West Aurora School District.

Coach Pauley has been serving as a Health Education and Physical Education teacher for the past 28 years.  Besides coaching baseball at West Aurora, he also coaches football.  While currently at the freshman level, he has coached at every level in the football program.  In 1984, he was the defensive coordinator of the team that made the playoffs under John Wrenn.  He has also coached girls track.  He has a wife, Connie, and two daughters, Jennifer and Kathleen, as well as, one grandson, David.