655…The magic number for Lady Spartans Varsity Basketball Head Coach, Bill Gibson. With a career record of 621-135 as of January 9, Gibson is only a season’s worth of games away from breaking the record of 655 career wins as a head coach.
With an undefeated record so far this season, it looks like he is going to break it, but why has he been so successful? Where did all the success begin at?
Gibson’s career started out at James Madison University. He played on the basketball team and was the starting shooting guard. Instead of choosing to continue playing, Gibson chose to begin coaching.
“I had more of bright future as a coach; I knew the game very well. It was better for me,” said Gibson, and he was right.
In 1981 Gibson started his coaching career as an assistant coach for boys Varsity at WS, and in 1985 he earned a head coaching job for the boys Varsity team at Bishop Ireton. During his one year at Ireton he won a state title, but he soon came back to WS as the coach for girls Varsity basketball.
“I wanted to start somewhere new, I was very content with winning the state championship the past season, but I had some differences with the program at BI, and plus I feel like I really didn’t earn the state title because the players were so good they could’ve won with any coach. I felt like coming to WS was a great opportunity to prove myself,” said Gibson.
His first season as head coach for the Lady Spartans, the team went 8-13, Gibson’s first and last losing record. After winning countless regional and district titles Gibson one his first state title with the team in 1997 and only two years later he won another state title in 1999.
“I was very nervous the first practice because I had heard he was a really tough coach and that he pushes his players to be the best they can be, and he does. He has built my mental toughness on and off the court and improved my basketball IQ,” said junior Alanna Backus, who has had Gibson as a coach since her freshman year.
Gibson has been coaching the Lady Spartans ince 1986 and he has certainly made a name for himself since. With two state, 18 district and eight regional titles it’s safe to say that he could’ve gone farther as a college coach and maybe even beyond, so why has Gibson stayed here after all these years?
“Loyalty,” said Gibson, “I love the people here, sometimes it’s good for change, but I want to stay here. I love it here, it’s like home to me.”