Men's Basketball Celebrates 100 Years, Announces Fundraising Initiative

Springfield, Ohio — Dan Russ, class of 2006, vividly remembers the wave of emotion that overwhelmed him immediately following the Wittenberg men's basketball team's last-second loss to Virginia Wesleyan in the 2006 NCAA Division III Tournament championship game. He also remembers what Head Coach Bill Brown said to him next.

"All of a sudden, I felt a hand on my shoulder," said Russ, the 2005 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Player of the Year and a 2006 second-team All-American. "I heard a voice in my ear. 'Dan, I'm so proud of you. I'm proud of everything you've done for the school.'

"Right then, I felt like everything was lifted. I felt if Coach Brown was strong enough to walk off the court, then so am I."

Such is the legacy that Brown, class of 1973, is building at his alma mater. He continues to foster a feeling of togetherness and pride in the men's basketball program with the most wins in NCAA Division III history, which has drawn many alums home during the 2011-12 season. It started with a Homecoming weekend celebration of 100 years of recorded history of Wittenberg men's basketball, and it continued with a ceremony in the HPER Center on Saturday, Jan. 14, that had three separate, yet intertwined, purposes.

A video was shown that included historical images of teams, coaches and student-athletes and displayed a host of impressive facts and figures, including the most all-time wins, national tournament appearances, national tournament wins and national tournament Final Fours in NCAA Division III history. That bookended an event that started with a video featuring former Tiger assistant coach Artie Taylor, now the head coach at Ohio Dominican, and former Tiger head man Larry Hunter, now the head coach at Western Carolina, paying tribute to Brown's accomplishments, including his 400th Wittenberg victory, earned on a buzzer-beater at arch-rival Wooster on Dec. 7.

Taylor and Hunter both offered congratulations to Brown, who surpassed Hunter's program wins record in 2007, and highlighted some of his most impressive attributes, including a tireless work ethic, loyalty and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Their sentiments were echoed by Russ, current assistant coach Travis Schwab, former Tiger head coach Bob Hamilton, class of 1963, and university president Mark Erickson.

In addition, Springfield Mayor and Wittenberg Professor Warren Copeland read a city proclamation in Brown's honor.

When it was Brown's turn to speak, the final piece to the puzzle became more clear. Through the support of a generous donor, a Wittenberg Men's Basketball Endowment Fund was recently created. Brown spoke about the urgent need for additional donations to the program to ensure that Wittenberg men's basketball enjoys as much success over the next 100 years as it has since the first recorded year of the sport in 1911-12.

"(The Wittenberg Men's Basketball Endowment Fund) helps all of us who care about Wittenberg men's basketball to know that in this very challenging economic world in which we live, we can be a little more assured that an adequate operating budget will always be there," said Brown, who ran his career record to 469-216 (including one year at Wooster and five at Kenyon) and Wittenberg record to 409-117 with a 67-58 victory over Denison earlier in the day.

Donations can be made to the Wittenberg Men's Basketball Endowment online or by calling Vice President for University Advancement Jim Geiger at 937-327-7426.

Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photo By: Erin Pence

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