Goshen, IN — After becoming the school’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach in just six seasons at the helm, Stan Daugherty announced his resignation as head men’s basketball coach, associate athletic director and professor of physical education at Goshen College, the school announced Wednesday.
Daugherty, the program’s 12th head coach in its 53-year history, completes his tenure at Goshen with an overall record of 87-104 (.455), surpassing legendary coach Roman Gingerich’s former record of 85 wins this season.
Daugherty cited personal and family reasons for his decision, as the 31-year high school and college coach will move into an administrative role next year, accepting a position as athletic director at Delta High School (Muncie, Ind.).
“It has been a very interesting few weeks for me and my family,” Daugherty said Wednesday. “I was not looking to leave Goshen College and was very excited about the upcoming year. I was asked to call Delta High School on behalf of a former college player, and in speaking with (Delta) I learned that they had already begun interviewing for their athletic director position and would not be talking with him. As the conversation progressed, I was asked if I had an interest in the position. Because Delta is only 20 minutes from our hometown I decided to talk with them. Within a few days I had two interviews and was offered the job.
“I have always told my players that faith in God and love for your family is much more important than basketball,” he continued. “As I looked at this situation, it seemed like a door had been opened for me and my family to get back close to home and work in a great situation. In the end, this was just too good of a situation to pass up for my family.”
Daugherty’s move comes after a promising 2006-2007 season and perhaps an even greater off-season, as Goshen is poised to return all but three seniors from its ’06-’07 squad and has already signed a talented corps of recruits. Goshen College athletic director Ken Pletcher said that a national search for a new head coach will begin immediately, with swiftness becoming a top priority.
“For the well-being of our current players as well as the new recruits, we hope to move as quickly as absolutely possible in the search process,” Pletcher said. “The program deserves our very best efforts during this time. Coach Daugherty has done an exceptional job with our men’s basketball program, and he has coached and taught with great integrity during his six years here. He is highly respected by the Goshen College faculty as well as his coaching peers. He is a good friend and colleague and our department will miss his leadership, professionalism and character.”
In addition to his coaching duties, Daugherty reinstated the Goshen College Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and served on the institution’s Spiritual Life Committee, as well as being a five-year member of Goshen’s Martin Luther King Celebration Committee.
“Stan's involvement in campus life beyond athletics and the men's basketball program was much appreciated,” said Bill Born, Goshen College vice president of student life. “His leadership of FCA and participation this last year on the Spiritual Life Committee added a great deal to the overall experience our students have on campus. As a member of the Goshen College community, he was a mentor to many individuals, as well as a coach.”
Between the lines, Daugherty led the Goshen basketball program to unmatched levels of success, charting two 21-win seasons (2003-04, 2004-05), the program’s only 20-win seasons in its history. Daugherty recruited and coached the school’s only NAIA All-American to date (2006 graduate Eric Walsh) as well as bringing in the 2006-07 MCC Newcomer of the Year — rising sophomore Errick McCollum II — the first player in program history to garner that award.
Collecting 2004-05 Mid-Central Conference Coach of the Year honors, Daugherty guided his team to a program-best third-place finish in the MCC that season, hosting the school’s first MCC Tournament game as a result. Daugherty also guided his teams to the longest winning streak in program history (16 in 2003-04), the best start to a season in program history (18-1 in 2003-04) and a 90-64 win over then sixth-ranked Cardinal Stritch University in 2003-04, the highest-ranked opponent a Goshen team has ever defeated.
Daugherty coached six all-conference selections and seven honorable mention players during his tenure at the Leafs’ helm, maintaining an unwavering focus on academics throughout: In addition to coaching 13 Daktronics NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete selections, Daugherty’s program maintained a collective GPA of at least 3.0 in each of his seasons, highlighted by a team GPA of 3.45 in 2004-05.
“I will miss coaching this team the next few years,” Daugherty said. “We have brought in some good players and I think they have a chance to be one of the best teams in recent memory. I will certainly follow them closely. I will miss the competition of the MCC. It has proven to be one of the top leagues in the country at the NAIA level. But with (my youngest son) going to Ball State University next year, my two older children living in Anderson and our four parents living in Alexandria, it will be a blessing to be able to work closely to all of them. I had been thinking of getting out of coaching in the next few years and looking into athletic administration. This is a bit earlier than I would have wished, but again the opportunity was just too great to pass up.”
Daugherty concludes a 31-year coaching career that began in 1976, spanning 17 years at the high school level and 14 in the college ranks. As a head coach at five high schools — including Delta from 1983-89 — Daugherty posted an overall record of 182-146, winning two sectional championships, three county championships and two conference titles. Before arriving to Goshen, Daugherty spent eight years as the associate head coach at Anderson University (NCAA Div. III; Anderson, Ind.), helping the Ravens to three consecutive winning seasons in his last three years including a 20-6 finish in 1998-99.
Daugherty is also the founder and director of Higher Level Sports Ministry, a father-son basketball camp corporation with the goal of “Teaching Christian Values Through Sports.” Daugherty said he will continue that endeavor indefinitely.
“I am extremely thankful to Goshen College, and particularly Ken Pletcher, for allowing me to coach basketball here the last six years,” Daugherty said. “It was always a goal of mine to coach small college basketball and it was all that I thought it would be. I had two goals in mind when I started here. One was to do something that had not been done before and we did that by winning 21 games in two different seasons. We’ve reached some national recognition. Secondly, I wanted to leave the program in much better shape than when I arrived here six years ago. I think that we have done that as well. It has been a rewarding six years in Goshen and now I am looking forward to some new challenges.”
Check back to this website for the most up-to-date information concerning Goshen’s search for a new men's basketball coach.
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Stan Daugherty