Whitehall High School dedicated their court to Coach Dick Tracy this week. I was honored to emcee the event.
“Pleasant”, “congenial”, “sympathetic”, “sociable”, “complaisant” are all words I would NOT use to describe Dick Tracy. “Cranky”, “obstinate”, “hard-nosed”, and “ornery” seem to come to mind more easily. Yet, he was absolutely loved by his players, respected by his peers and loved by me. Dick Tracy has always been an enigma. I went to visit him at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Center two weeks ago and asked the receptionist to direct me to Dick Tracy’s room. She said there was no Dick Tracy there. I knew there was some mistake. Maybe he was listed as Coach Tracy. No. But they had a Frances R. Tracy on the third floor. I worked with the man for forty years, thought I knew him better than anyone, and never knew his name was Frances. And yet, I was not surprised. He was always hard to figure out, but, one thing he did figure out was how to motivate people and how to coach basketball. Boy, could he do both!
Coach Tracy was 205-51 in his nine years as a head coach at Whitehall, winning 80% of his games. He never came close to having a losing season. His worst record was 20-9 in 1979 when he came back to coach a program that was 6-17 the year before. His teams won five League championships, three district titles, and a PIAA state championship. In 1981, his team was 33-2 winning both the conference and district championships, losing in the PIAA state semifinal to Springfield-Delco. That loss ended Whitehall’s 30-game winning streak.
1981-82 was the magical year. Whitehall lost to Allen 46-44 in the first game of the year in a non-league contest. They went 18-0 in the conference, 3-0 in Districts, and 5-0 in the state playoffs, beating Shamokin, Freedom, Williamsport, Springfield-Delco, and finally New Castle at a sold-out Hershey Arena 42-38. New Castle had been averaging close to 75 points a game. Not against the Tracy “match defense”. The starters’ names – Coval, Noack, Heydt, Bobyak, and Pizarro were etched for life in Lehigh Valley basketball history. And so was the name of their legendary coach – Dick Tracy.
I have known Dick as a coach, a teacher, a professional colleague, and, most importantly, as a friend ever since I began my broadcasting career 44 years ago. What I most remember, however, about the man I spent so much time with the past 30 plus years is the iconic persona thrust upon him by so many people. Dick is a former marine and certainly knows the meaning of “semper fi”- “always faithful.” His former students, his former players, his former assistant coaches absolutely adored the man and I always had the sense they would do anything for him and knew him so well he did not have to solicit their help. They knew what he needed. If respect and friendship are the true measure of a man, Dick Tracy is immeasurable. Today they refer to these people as “peeps” or the “posse”. Dick only hears the words “Coach” or “Mr. Tracy”. These three words represent who this man was to so many people and the love and respect they have thrust upon him. Those he has touched have remained “always faithful.”
It is very special for so many people, including myself, to walk into Coach Tracy Court at Whitehall High School!
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
(Last week – 10-5) (159-78-1 overall – 68%)
GREEN BAY
HOUSTON
PITTSBURGH
INDIANAPOLIS
BALTIMORE
NEW ENGLAND
MIAMI
ATLANTA
MINNESOTA
SAN DIEGO
PHILADELPHIA
DALLAS
NEW ORLEANS
SEATTLE
SAN FRANCISCO
DENVER
