Lehigh University Athletics
McCoach retires as public address voice of Lehigh Athletics
6/10/2015 1:39:00 PM | Athletics
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bill McCoach, the public address voice of Lehigh Athletics for more than a quarter century, has announced his retirement. McCoach steps away after 27 seasons at Lehigh. He began serving as public address announcer for the men's and women's basketball programs in 1988 and later assumed the duties for football and wrestling, while also lending his voice to thousands of Lehigh events announcing Olympic sports including soccer, field hockey, volleyball, cross country, track and field, lacrosse, baseball and softball.
"Being a part of Lehigh University was a dream come true," McCoach said. "For 27 years I did my dream job. I'll always bleed brown and white. It's been a great trip for me and a great run but I do feel like this is a good time to step away."
"Bill McCoach is the epitome of loyalty, selfless service and living fully all the opportunities that life presents," Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett '76 said. "His contributions to Lehigh are remarkable yet his tenure with us will always be defined by the relationships he created and sustained. It is with much admiration that we thank him for his extraordinary devotion. All of us hope and expect to see him often at our events as he will always be a special part of our athletics family."
McCoach took over as Lehigh's public address announcer at the start of the 1988-89 season, compiling a streak of 560 consecutive basketball games behind the microphone that ended due to a bout of laryngitis in December 2009. He continued working basketball games through the end of the 2014-15 season, hindered only by several severe winter storms and a brief illness in early 2014. In total, McCoach worked 701 Lehigh men's and women's basketball games and was behind the mic for five Patriot League Championship games at Stabler Arena. In those games, Lehigh was a perfect 5-0.
The Bethlehem native added public address responsibilities for football in 1997 and worked 102 football games, including nine Rivalry games versus Lafayette and NCAA playoff games at Goodman Stadium in 2001 and 2004.
In addition to the two football playoff games, McCoach served as the public address announcer for Lehigh's home NCAA Tournament games in men's soccer in 2002 and 2006 and men's lacrosse in 2012. He also announced at several NCAA cross country regional meets held on the Goodman Campus course and served as announcer for a vast number of Patriot League Championship events across a number of sports.
"Bill has been a distinguished voice for Lehigh athletics and numerous Patriot League championships for many years," said Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich. "We thank Bill for his many contributions and congratulate him on his retirement as Lehigh's public address announcer. We know that Bill will continue to support Lehigh athletics programs and wish him well in all his future endeavors."
Outside of Lehigh circles, McCoach is widely known and respected for his work announcing wrestling. In 1968, McCoach was hired as a bookkeeper at Bethlehem Catholic High School and also began working as the public address announcer for the Golden Hawks' wrestling program. A year later, he was installed as the voice of the District XI wrestling tournament, an event to which McCoach still actively lends his voice. McCoach also served as announcer for the Northeast Regional Tournament and in 1995 was inducted into the District XI Wrestling Hall of Fame. He added wrestling to his many Lehigh assignments in 2004.
In his final season at Lehigh, McCoach had the pleasure of introducing Lehigh's Marching 97 in front of a sold-out Yankee Stadium in the 150th football meeting between Lehigh and Lafayette. McCoach's final assignments included the Lehigh softball team's 13th Patriot League Tournament title and the baseball team's decisive game three victory in the Patriot League semifinal series against Holy Cross in early May.
"I'd like to thank the administration for giving me the opportunity," McCoach said. "I'd like to thank all of the coaches for letting me be a part of their athletic programs for all these years. They've all been very good to me, and I appreciate that. The student-athletes throughout the years have all been great. I admire them for the way they prioritize their time with the practices and the games and the academics. I've always admired them for that and I've always been grateful for their friendship."
A 1950 graduate of Bethlehem High School, McCoach was drafted into the Army and served two years in Korea. Upon his return, he studied for two years at Moravian College. McCoach was married to his wife Evelyn for 60 years until her passing in 2013. He has two sons, Bill Jr. and Scott, and four grandchildren.
Lehigh Athletics is planning to formally recognize McCoach at both Goodman Stadium and Stabler Arena during the upcoming 2015-16 school year.
Lehigh will be exploring potential replacements for public address announcer positions across a number of sports, including the upcoming 2015 football season. Prospective candidates can contact Rich Haas, Assistant Athletic Director for Sales and Marketing at rch3@lehigh.edu.
"Being a part of Lehigh University was a dream come true," McCoach said. "For 27 years I did my dream job. I'll always bleed brown and white. It's been a great trip for me and a great run but I do feel like this is a good time to step away."
"Bill McCoach is the epitome of loyalty, selfless service and living fully all the opportunities that life presents," Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett '76 said. "His contributions to Lehigh are remarkable yet his tenure with us will always be defined by the relationships he created and sustained. It is with much admiration that we thank him for his extraordinary devotion. All of us hope and expect to see him often at our events as he will always be a special part of our athletics family."
McCoach took over as Lehigh's public address announcer at the start of the 1988-89 season, compiling a streak of 560 consecutive basketball games behind the microphone that ended due to a bout of laryngitis in December 2009. He continued working basketball games through the end of the 2014-15 season, hindered only by several severe winter storms and a brief illness in early 2014. In total, McCoach worked 701 Lehigh men's and women's basketball games and was behind the mic for five Patriot League Championship games at Stabler Arena. In those games, Lehigh was a perfect 5-0.
The Bethlehem native added public address responsibilities for football in 1997 and worked 102 football games, including nine Rivalry games versus Lafayette and NCAA playoff games at Goodman Stadium in 2001 and 2004.
In addition to the two football playoff games, McCoach served as the public address announcer for Lehigh's home NCAA Tournament games in men's soccer in 2002 and 2006 and men's lacrosse in 2012. He also announced at several NCAA cross country regional meets held on the Goodman Campus course and served as announcer for a vast number of Patriot League Championship events across a number of sports.
"Bill has been a distinguished voice for Lehigh athletics and numerous Patriot League championships for many years," said Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich. "We thank Bill for his many contributions and congratulate him on his retirement as Lehigh's public address announcer. We know that Bill will continue to support Lehigh athletics programs and wish him well in all his future endeavors."
Outside of Lehigh circles, McCoach is widely known and respected for his work announcing wrestling. In 1968, McCoach was hired as a bookkeeper at Bethlehem Catholic High School and also began working as the public address announcer for the Golden Hawks' wrestling program. A year later, he was installed as the voice of the District XI wrestling tournament, an event to which McCoach still actively lends his voice. McCoach also served as announcer for the Northeast Regional Tournament and in 1995 was inducted into the District XI Wrestling Hall of Fame. He added wrestling to his many Lehigh assignments in 2004.
In his final season at Lehigh, McCoach had the pleasure of introducing Lehigh's Marching 97 in front of a sold-out Yankee Stadium in the 150th football meeting between Lehigh and Lafayette. McCoach's final assignments included the Lehigh softball team's 13th Patriot League Tournament title and the baseball team's decisive game three victory in the Patriot League semifinal series against Holy Cross in early May.
"I'd like to thank the administration for giving me the opportunity," McCoach said. "I'd like to thank all of the coaches for letting me be a part of their athletic programs for all these years. They've all been very good to me, and I appreciate that. The student-athletes throughout the years have all been great. I admire them for the way they prioritize their time with the practices and the games and the academics. I've always admired them for that and I've always been grateful for their friendship."
A 1950 graduate of Bethlehem High School, McCoach was drafted into the Army and served two years in Korea. Upon his return, he studied for two years at Moravian College. McCoach was married to his wife Evelyn for 60 years until her passing in 2013. He has two sons, Bill Jr. and Scott, and four grandchildren.
Lehigh Athletics is planning to formally recognize McCoach at both Goodman Stadium and Stabler Arena during the upcoming 2015-16 school year.
Lehigh will be exploring potential replacements for public address announcer positions across a number of sports, including the upcoming 2015 football season. Prospective candidates can contact Rich Haas, Assistant Athletic Director for Sales and Marketing at rch3@lehigh.edu.
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