Bill Racich

Bill graduated from West Chester State College in 1975. He was a 4-year starter, a 4X Conference finalist, a 2X NCAA D1 qualifier, the 1974 Middle Atlantic Conference, and an East Coast Conference Champ. He was team captain of the 1975 WCSC squad that beat Northwestern, Minnesota, Purdue, Indiana & Illinois at the Mid-West Tournament. Bill won many titles, including a 1978 National Freestyle Team Championship. Bill's first Head Coaching job was at Spring-Ford High School in 1978. In 1981, Bill was named as the Head Coach at Ursinus College. He finished his 38th season at Ursinus this year. The following are through 2017: Career coaching record of 532-120-8. Ranked #6 all-time winningest coach in the NCAA, and #2 all-time winningest NCAA active coaches. Coached 7 East Region Champs, 16 NCAA All-Americans and 74 NCAA Division 3 Scholar All-Americans. 11X Centennial Conference Coach of the Year, NCAA East Regional Coach of the Year in 2014. Has won 11 conference titles, 11 dual meet championships, and has had 11 undefeated seasons. Bill has served a tournament director for Centennial Conference and East Regional Tournaments. Bill founded the North-South Duals over 30 years ago, the Fall Brawl over 15 years ago, and the Citrus Invitational. Bill teaches in the Spring-Ford School District, and is the Chair for Health and Physical Ed., Middle School Athletics Coordinator, and the Head Cross Country & Track coach at the Middle School. Bill is exemplary coach educating his students about life through wrestling. He always keeps the big picture in mind, remembering students are there to learn, and get an education - and the coach is to foster that learning through sport. He serves on the NWCA Division 3 Executive Committee and is as a Mentor for the NWCA. His list of Hall of Fame inductions is staggering: he is a member of the West Chester Wrestling HOF, the Conshohocken Sports HOF, the Plymouth-Whitemarsh Distinguished Graduates HOF, the Ursinus College Athletics HOF, the Southeast Pennsylvania Wrestling HOF, the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association HOF, the Division 3 NWCA HOF, and the Montgomery County Coaches HOF. And when not wrestling, Bill has been a national and internationally recognized Rugby player for 25 years, retiring in 2000. In fact, he was honored in the Philadelphia-Whitemarsh Rugby HOF in 1999. And, just to keep busy, he earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Temple University in 2012! Bill and his wife, Julia Elaine, reside in Collegeville, PA. They had one son, Cole, a 2007 Ursinus grad too. Tragically, Bill unexpectedly passed away on September 21, 2018, just five short months after his induction.

Awards:

Year
2018
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
Pennsylvania

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