Hall Of Famer Bill Patrick Steps Down
May 15, 2017 at 4:10 p.m.
Hall Of Famer Bill Patrick Steps Down
By Dale [email protected]
Patrick boasts a record of 765-319 over 48 seasons – 29 at Sidney, South Whitley and Whitko, and the last 19 at Valley.
Patrick’s 765 wins rank him second all-time in Indiana, trailing only former Loogootee coach Jack Butcher’s highwater mark of 806.
“I enjoyed doing it, I love coaching,” Patrick said in a phone conversation this morning. “I started coaching when I was a sophomore in high school, coaching little league baseball. I loved coaching, I still do.”
Patrick said he resigned from his head coaching duties, but wouldn’t say he was completely retiring.
“My recommendation was that (my son) Chad get hired, and maybe I would help him for a few years,” said Patrick, already a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. “I turned in my resignation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m retiring.”
Patrick graduated from Sidney High School in 1956, from Manchester College in 1960, and got his master’s degree from Ball State University in 1967.
Patrick coached his first varsity boys basketball team in the 1963-64 season, leading his high school alma mater to a 13-9 record.
Patrick, who led Whitko to the one-class Final Four in 1991, stepped down at Whitko following the 1994-95 season.
After a three-year hiatus, Patrick took over at Valley and led the Vikings to a 14-7 record in his first season in Akron.
In his 19 seasons with Valley, the Vikings were 287-139 and won at least a share of 13 Three Rivers Conference championships.
“He had been talking about this the last couple years,” Burkhart said of the resignation. “From my standpoint, and the administration’s standpoint, he could have coached at Valley as long as he wanted to, as long as he was productive, and as long as his health was good.
“I totally respect his decision. I told him Friday I’d hold the resignation until Monday morning and give him the weekend to think about it. We talked at 8:30 last night, I asked him if this is what he wanted to do, and he said he thought it was the right time.
“He’s done an outstanding job with our kids and our program. Obviously people in the basketball world respect him, but he’s also brought a lot of respect in general to our school. I hope that people understand that they were able to watch history, particularly the last couple years as he was climbing the ladder of coaching wins. People may not fully understand it now, but they saw high school basketball history being made.”
Burkhart said the school corporation will post the job opening and he’d like to have the position filled as soon as possible.
Burkhart said there isn’t a timetable for the hiring, but that the position could be filled in two or three weeks.
In his 48 seasons, Patrick’s teams won 17 sectional titles, three regionals crowns, and the 1991 semistate championship.
Patrick coached two Indiana All-Stars – Jeff Peters and Steve Nicodemus – and was an assistant coach for the Indiana All-Stars in 1993.
Patrick was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Patrick has also coached baseball, cross country, track and field, and boys volleyball.
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Patrick boasts a record of 765-319 over 48 seasons – 29 at Sidney, South Whitley and Whitko, and the last 19 at Valley.
Patrick’s 765 wins rank him second all-time in Indiana, trailing only former Loogootee coach Jack Butcher’s highwater mark of 806.
“I enjoyed doing it, I love coaching,” Patrick said in a phone conversation this morning. “I started coaching when I was a sophomore in high school, coaching little league baseball. I loved coaching, I still do.”
Patrick said he resigned from his head coaching duties, but wouldn’t say he was completely retiring.
“My recommendation was that (my son) Chad get hired, and maybe I would help him for a few years,” said Patrick, already a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. “I turned in my resignation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m retiring.”
Patrick graduated from Sidney High School in 1956, from Manchester College in 1960, and got his master’s degree from Ball State University in 1967.
Patrick coached his first varsity boys basketball team in the 1963-64 season, leading his high school alma mater to a 13-9 record.
Patrick, who led Whitko to the one-class Final Four in 1991, stepped down at Whitko following the 1994-95 season.
After a three-year hiatus, Patrick took over at Valley and led the Vikings to a 14-7 record in his first season in Akron.
In his 19 seasons with Valley, the Vikings were 287-139 and won at least a share of 13 Three Rivers Conference championships.
“He had been talking about this the last couple years,” Burkhart said of the resignation. “From my standpoint, and the administration’s standpoint, he could have coached at Valley as long as he wanted to, as long as he was productive, and as long as his health was good.
“I totally respect his decision. I told him Friday I’d hold the resignation until Monday morning and give him the weekend to think about it. We talked at 8:30 last night, I asked him if this is what he wanted to do, and he said he thought it was the right time.
“He’s done an outstanding job with our kids and our program. Obviously people in the basketball world respect him, but he’s also brought a lot of respect in general to our school. I hope that people understand that they were able to watch history, particularly the last couple years as he was climbing the ladder of coaching wins. People may not fully understand it now, but they saw high school basketball history being made.”
Burkhart said the school corporation will post the job opening and he’d like to have the position filled as soon as possible.
Burkhart said there isn’t a timetable for the hiring, but that the position could be filled in two or three weeks.
In his 48 seasons, Patrick’s teams won 17 sectional titles, three regionals crowns, and the 1991 semistate championship.
Patrick coached two Indiana All-Stars – Jeff Peters and Steve Nicodemus – and was an assistant coach for the Indiana All-Stars in 1993.
Patrick was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Patrick has also coached baseball, cross country, track and field, and boys volleyball.
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