Veteran head boys basketball coach Bill Zych has decided to retire from the sidelines.

After a 469-361 record over a 36-year head coaching career, including the past 13 at Pike, Zych announced he was retiring from teaching and coaching. Zych, 67, was 214-110 at Pike.  He led the Red Devils to six sectional titles and an appearance in the 4A state championship in 2012.

Zych’s final season ended with a loss to top-ranked Ben Davis.  That’s actually the way his first head coaching season ended years ago.

Zych was a student and player at La Porte High School and went on to play at Manchester University.  He then was hired as an assistant and freshman coach at Winamac in 1978. 

Zych took over as head coach in the 1983-84 season.  That season, Winamac defeated West Central, Culver and Oregon-Davis to win the program’s first sectional since 1970.  The Warriors season ended in the regional with a 101-79 loss to the state’s top-ranked team, Michigan City Rogers, led by co-Mr. Basketball Delray Brooks who scored 29 points.

Zych went on to Rensselaer Central in 1989.  In the ’91 season, he led the Bombers to their first sectional title in 22 seasons and the program’s only regional title.

Zych also head coaching stops at Jay County, Center Grove, Shelbyville and Perry Meridian. He worked two years as an assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis.

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