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| Rochester Institute of Technology athletics file photo |
RIT men's basketball head coach Bob McVean announced his intention to retire after 40 seasons on the Tiger bench.
"I am very fortunate to have been able to do something I love at the same excellent academic university for 40 years. The most special thing to me has been the relationships with hundreds of players throughout the years," said McVean. "It is gratifying to see them move on to their careers and return to campus with their families.
"I am thankful for the dedication and hard work of all my assistant coaches and for the support from my colleagues on the RIT Athletics staff. A special thanks to former RIT athletic director Lou Spiotti for having faith in me 40 years ago. It has been a truly wonderful journey for me and my family. Now, it is time for a new coach to begin their journey at RIT."
The winningest coach in RIT men's basketball history, McVean directed the Tigers to a 556-490 record the past 40 seasons, including six 20-win seasons, five Empire Athletic Association titles, two Empire 8 championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 45 total years as a head coach, McVean finished his career with 613 wins which is third-most among active Division III coaches and 18th in Division III all-time. He picked up his 600th career win earlier this season. McVean is a two-time NABC East Region Coach of the Year and seven-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year.
"Bob set a high standard for achievement on and off the court during his tenure at RIT," said athletic director Jacqueline Nicholson. "For four decades, he has been the face of the program and is responsible for generations of players becoming not only good basketball players, but good people when they left campus. He will forever be associated with RIT basketball."
McVean's players combined to garner 77 all-conference honors during his tenure, including 25 first-team selections and four three-time honorees, along with seven conference rookies of the year.
McVean coached seven All-Americans and five National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Americans.
McVean mentored 10 of the program's top-12 scorers as well as 22 Tigers who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau, including all-time leading scorer and three-time All-American Craig Jones who finished with 1,984 points and Brandon Redmond, who was third with 1,455 points.
McVean guided the Tigers on an unprecedented three-year run from 1994-97, starting with a 20-5 record and a bid into the NCAA Tournament en route to Empire Athletic Association Coach of the Year honors in 1994-95. He then directed the 1995-96 Tigers to a 22-4 record and a bid into the NCAA Tournament, earning EAA Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season.
McVean led RIT through a magical 1996-97 campaign. The Tigers finished with a program-record 24-4 record, winning their first 13 games of the season. After two losses in four games, RIT won seven of its last eight games to earn the top seed in the NCAA East region. The Tigers edged Rochester, 65-64 in the opening round NCAA Tournament before defeating Buffalo State, 111-106 in double-overtime before to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. McVean was named EAA Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year.
McVean led RIT to a 20-6 record in 1999-2000, winning the Empire 8 crown. The Tigers received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Penn State-Behrend in the second round.
Committed to the ideals of the student-athlete, McVean's players have excelled in the classroom, earning 27 Liberty League All-Academic awards. Additionally, Mark Carson (3rd Team) were voted Academic All-Americans by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA).
RIT will conduct a national search for a new head coach immediately.