Ralph Willard
Encyclopedia
Ralph Willard is the former men's head basketball coach at the College of the Holy Cross
, a member of the NCAA Patriot League
in Worcester, Massachusetts
. He held this position from 1999 to 2009 and was the 14th head coach in the 88-year history of Holy Cross basketball. Willard was also an assistant athletic director for the College. In 2007, Willard agreed on a new 5 year contract with Holy Cross to remain the men’s basketball coach through 2013.
On June 10, 2009, Willard became an associate head coach with the University of Louisville
to team once again with longtime personal friend Rick Pitino.
during the 1971/1972 season. He then spent the next 13 years coaching at St. Dominic in Oyster Bay, New York
, his high school alma mater. During his tenure there he led his team to the 1980 state championship. He was also honored as coach of the year in the conference 5 times.
After leaving St. Dominic, Willard became the assistant coach at Hofstra University
. When Willard left Hofstra, he became a member of the Syracuse University
staff that appeared in the NCAA national championship game in 1987.
Willard briefly joined Rick Pitino
as a member of the staff of the National Basketball Association
's New York Knicks
. When Pitino left to become the head coach of the University of Kentucky
, Willard joined him as the associate head coach in 1989.
In 1990 Willard was given his first college head coaching job at Western Kentucky University
where he stayed until 1994. Within three years Willard led Western Kentucky to a Top 25 national ranking and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16.
In 1994 Willard became the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
team. He held this position until 1999 when he returned to his college alma mater at Holy Cross where he had been a member of the class of 1967 and the captain of the 1966-1967 men’s basketball team.
Willard’s success at Holy Cross continued as he led the school to two more conference titles and subsequent trips to the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2003. This was the first time in the history of the Patriot League that a school had achieved this.
In 2005, Holy Cross was invited to the National Invitation Tournament where Willard led the team to the second round with a victory over the University of Notre Dame. This marked the first time that a team from the Patriot League had won a game in a post-season tournament. Willard was honored for the second time as the Patriot League coach of the year. He also received national recognition when he was named as a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award.
The following year Willard led Holy Cross back to the NCAA Tournament with another Patriot League conference title. This once again earned him coach of the year honors for the Patriot League.
Willard has had tremendous success in building Holy Cross into a successful program. During his tenure as the school’s head coach, the Crusaders averaged more than 19 victories per season and advanced to the conference tournament championship game 6 times.
. In 2008 he underwent robot-assisted open heart surgery to repair a leaking mitral valve. He has successfully recovered from both and continues to coach today.
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
, a member of the NCAA Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. He held this position from 1999 to 2009 and was the 14th head coach in the 88-year history of Holy Cross basketball. Willard was also an assistant athletic director for the College. In 2007, Willard agreed on a new 5 year contract with Holy Cross to remain the men’s basketball coach through 2013.
On June 10, 2009, Willard became an associate head coach with the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
to team once again with longtime personal friend Rick Pitino.
Career
Willard has had a distinguished career coaching on all levels. His first coaching job was as an assistant coach at the Merchant Marine AcademyMerchant Marine Academy
Merchant Marine Academy may refer to:*Philippine Merchant Marine Academy*United States Merchant Marine Academy...
during the 1971/1972 season. He then spent the next 13 years coaching at St. Dominic in Oyster Bay, New York
Oyster Bay (town), New York
The Town of Oyster Bay is easternmost of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the only town in Nassau County that extends from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the town population was...
, his high school alma mater. During his tenure there he led his team to the 1980 state championship. He was also honored as coach of the year in the conference 5 times.
After leaving St. Dominic, Willard became the assistant coach at Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
. When Willard left Hofstra, he became a member of the Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
staff that appeared in the NCAA national championship game in 1987.
Willard briefly joined Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
as a member of the staff of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. When Pitino left to become the head coach of the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Willard joined him as the associate head coach in 1989.
In 1990 Willard was given his first college head coaching job at Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
where he stayed until 1994. Within three years Willard led Western Kentucky to a Top 25 national ranking and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16.
In 1994 Willard became the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
team. He held this position until 1999 when he returned to his college alma mater at Holy Cross where he had been a member of the class of 1967 and the captain of the 1966-1967 men’s basketball team.
Career at Holy Cross
Willard began his tenure at Holy Cross with the goal of turning around a struggling program. The school had only won 22 games in its three previous seasons combined. In only his second season, Willard managed to lead the Crusaders to both the regular season and tournament titles. As a result, he was named the Coach of the Year for the Patriot League.Willard’s success at Holy Cross continued as he led the school to two more conference titles and subsequent trips to the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2003. This was the first time in the history of the Patriot League that a school had achieved this.
In 2005, Holy Cross was invited to the National Invitation Tournament where Willard led the team to the second round with a victory over the University of Notre Dame. This marked the first time that a team from the Patriot League had won a game in a post-season tournament. Willard was honored for the second time as the Patriot League coach of the year. He also received national recognition when he was named as a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award.
The following year Willard led Holy Cross back to the NCAA Tournament with another Patriot League conference title. This once again earned him coach of the year honors for the Patriot League.
Willard has had tremendous success in building Holy Cross into a successful program. During his tenure as the school’s head coach, the Crusaders averaged more than 19 victories per season and advanced to the conference tournament championship game 6 times.
Health Issues
In 2005 Willard was diagnosed with prostate cancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. In 2008 he underwent robot-assisted open heart surgery to repair a leaking mitral valve. He has successfully recovered from both and continues to coach today.
Coaching records By school (through 2008 season)
| Seasons | School | W-L |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–1994 | Western Kentucky | 81-42 |
| 1994–1999 | University of Pittsburgh | 63-82 |
| 1999–2009 | College of the Holy Cross | 174-103 |