Bill Detrick
Bill Detrick (1927-2014)
Teams coached: Central Connecticut Blue Devils, Coast Guard Bears
Central Connecticut record^: 468-266 (.638)
Coast Guard record^: 11-12 (.478)
Overall record^: 479-278 (.632)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances: 6 (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1983, 1984)
- NAIA Tournament Appearances: 6 (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1988-1989 | Coast Guard |
| 1959-1987 | Central Connecticut |
Bill Detrick Facts
- William H. Detrick
- Born July 22, 1927
- Died September 19, 2014
- Hometown: Newark, New Jersey
- Alma Mater: Central Connecticut State University (BA, 1950)
- Was a star athlete at Central Connecticut, earning four letters (12 total) each in basketball, baseball and football
- On the basketball court, Detrick played for head coach Ross Merrick; served as team captain in 1949-50
- Played professional baseball for several years after graduating in 1950
- Returned to CCSU in 1959 to be the head basketball coach, a position he held for 28 seasons
- Starting out at the NAIA level, Detrick coached the Blue Devils through Division II and finally into Division I in 1986
- Compiled an overall record of 468-266 and made the postseason twelve times (six D-II NCAA and six NAIA Tournaments)
- Member of the inaugural 1979 class of the CCSU Athletic HOF and the school named William H. Detrick Gymnasium after him
- Spent one year as the head coach at the US Coast Guard Academy, a D-III program in New London, CT, going 11-12
- In 1991, Detrick became the head men’s golf coach at Trinity College in Hartford, CT; served in that capacity for 23 years
- Named NESCAC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year three times (2001, 2006 and 2007)
- For over 30 years throughout his career, he co-owned and directed the Connecticut Basketball School summer camp with Nick Macarchuk
- Detrick returned to CCSU in 2013 to be a Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics, helping connect with the alumni base
- Passed away in 2014 at the age of 87; survived by his wife, Barbara, their three children and six grandchildren
Bill Detrick Coaching Tree
- Howie Dickenman (Central Connecticut)
- Charles Jones (Central Connecticut)
- Bob Zuffelato (Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Marshall, Boston College)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA D-I, D-II, D-III and NAIA levels; CCSU did not move up to D-I until 1986