Bridgewater coach retires
Bridgewater men's basketball coach Bill Leatherman announced his retirement Wednesday after 23 years at the helm of the program. Leatherman, who compiled a career record of 335-262, led the Eagles to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference regular season title with a 17-9 record in his second season. A year later, Bridgewater won the 1987-88 ODAC championship and earned a berth to the NCAA Division III tournament – the school's first appearance in postseason play. That team finished with a 24-5 record, the best record during the Leatherman years.
His teams made two more trips to the NCAA tournament. The 1995-96 team earned an at-large bid and finished with an 18-10 record. The next season, the Eagles finished with a 21-8 record and advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.In acknowledging Leatherman's record of success, Bridgewater president Phillip Stone said: "Coach Leatherman's greatest coaching achievement however is in the effect he has had on the young men who played for him. They were required to dress up for games and behave as gentlemen; they had to play by the rules; team play prevailed over individual interests; no showboating or bad sportsmanship was tolerated; and students were required to attend class and keep up their grades. He has taken immense satisfaction from the fact that almost every Bridgewater College player he coached has earned his degree."Leatherman was named the ODAC Coach of the Year four times – 1987, 1989, 1996 and 2005. He was named the South Region Coach of the Year in 1987, 1988, 1996 and 2005. Following the 2005-06 season, Leatherman received the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians Award for Advocacy. The honor is one of the top awards a coach can receive from the NABC.During his tenure at BC, Leatherman coached three All-Americans – Ramsey Yeatts, Dan Rush and Kyle Williford. The search for Leatherman's successor begins immediately
No comments:
Post a Comment