When the men’s basketball season begins in November, there will be a new face on the seat closest to the scorers’ table for the first time in 21 years. Head Coach Dick DeLaney announced his retirement from West Chester University following a 40-year coaching career as the all time wins leader at his alma mater.
“Every coach gets to a time in their career where they have to make some decistions about things, I’ve been doing it for 21 years at West Chester and I felt like it was the right time,” Delaney said in a radio interview Saturday. “I wanted to talk things over with my life and my family, I just turned 61 and there are things in my life that I want to do. I’d like to travel a little bit.”
DeLaney called West Chester his home, and brought an unmatched intensity to Hollinger Field House night after night during his tenure here.
“Dick DeLaney’s passion and commitment to West ChesterUniversity and its student-athletes is unmatched,” West Chester director of athletics Dr. Edward Matejkovic said in a statement released from the Athletic Department Wednesday. “He has guided the Golden Rams through the glory years of basketball over the past two decades.”
“Certainly, he is and will always be a legend in basketball circles for years to come. It will be a very difficult assignment to replace him on the sideline. Finding someone, who can maintain the caliber of a basketball program that West Chester University has enjoyed over the past 21 years, will be extremely hard to find.”
Throughout his career DeLaney placed an emphasis not just on winning basketball games and his players’ athletic progress, but most importantly their development as upstanding individuals of character.
Because of this philosophy, West Chester rarely accepted transfer students only intending to compete at this level for a season or two, with the goal of winning a conference or national championship. Rather, DeLaney prided himself and his program on developing players recruited to this campus their freshman year.
DeLaney’s philosophy might inhibit the success of some programs, but that was not the case at West Chester. The Golden Rams under DeLaney made five NCAA II tournament appearances and one ECAC tournament berth.
Perhaps the most prolific period in Golden Ram men’s basketball history came from 1993-1995 when DeLaney’s squad marched into back to back NCAA tournament appearances and won their first PSAC East Division championship in 1994, while returning to the playoffs that season for the first time in 11 years.
WCU also managed seven PSAC conference tournament appearances, including hosting the 2006 PSAC final four at Hollinger Field House for the first time in school history. That year the Golden Rams finished with 18 wins for the second consecutive season and took home the program’s fourth PSAC East division title under DeLaney.
“I thank West Chester University for allowing me to return to my alma mater 21 years ago and have the chance to build our basketball program to the success it has become over the years,” DeLaney said. “I look forward to staying active in the athletic world as well as doing some other things in the coming years.”
According to sources close to the situation a search for DeLaney’s replacement will begin soon, but the outgoing coach will not be a part of the selection committee nor will they be requesting a list of recommendations for a potential successor from DeLaney.
Matt Lombardo is a third-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. he can be reached at ML606516@wcupa.edu