July 9, 2008
LAURINBURG, N.C.—The St. Andrews Presbyterian College athletics department has announced the retirement of the Knights men’s basketball head coach Billy Lee on Wednesday. Brian Mand, Director of Athletics at SAPC has also named assistant coach Richie Schueler the interim head coach of the Knights basketball program.
“After three decades of coaching college basketball in the state of North Carolina I plan to retire from the game at this time,” said Lee.
Paul Baldasare, St. Andrews Presbyterian College President stated, “All of us in the St. Andrews community will miss Billy Lee. He’s been a role model and an extraordinary teacher not only for our student-athletes, but also for our other coaches. He leaves us with a strong and well-disciplined basketball team and a legacy that emphasizes the primacy of academics in NCAA Division II athletics.”
Lee coached the SAPC men’s basketball program for the past three seasons accumulating 30 wins over that time frame. Lee guided the Knights men’s hoops teams to impressive victories in each of his three seasons including a 72-69 win over No. 18 nationally ranked Mount Olive College in 2006, a 106-101 overtime upset at No. 18 Pfeiffer University in 2007, and a 81-78 overtime win against defending National Champion Barton College in the 2008 season finale to cap an incredible coaching career.
“I have mixed feelings about Billy Lee’s decision to retire from the coaching profession to pursue other professional opportunities in the sports industry” said St. Andrews Director of Athletics Brian Mand. “I am glad that St. Andrews was the last stop on Billy’s lengthy and illustrious coaching career and I personally have enjoyed and benefited from the privilege of working with Billy this past year. I consider him to be a friend and colleague but more important a true southern gentleman with class and dignity, who exemplified what college coaching should be about.”
Lee retires from coaching basketball after spending 30 years in the collegiate coaching ranks including two years at East Carolina University, seven years at UNC Pembroke, 18 years at Campbell University and three seasons at St. Andrews. Lee also coached high school basketball for several seasons pushing his career win total over 400 victories.
“ECU, UNC Pembroke, Campbell University, and St. Andrews Presbyterian College have all conferred a great deal of confidence in my abilities for which I will forever be grateful. SAPC Athletic Director Brian Mand and President Paul Baldasare are insightfully committed to and relentlessly working for the development of the College and its Athletic Program during these challenging times,” commented Lee. “There are numerous milestones that are deeply etched in my mind and heart forever, but a special thanks to the many loyal fans through the years, their enthusiasm for their team and the game of basketball has been unyielding, unshakeable, and inspirational.”
After a long coaching career, Lee will be moving out of the coaching ranks and has accepted a director of sales position in the sports division of the Raleigh-based company Travel Management Partners (TMP).
Mand added, “Coach Lee will be sorely missed, not only at St. Andrews, but in the college coaching profession. At the same time, I am excited for Billy that he will continue to work in the college athletic arena, utilizing his outstanding motivational speaking and people skills in his new position in sports travel sales. Billy has left a solid foundation for Knights men’s basketball to build upon in future years.”
St. Andrews four-year assistant coach Richie Schueler will serve as interim head coach during the search process for a permanent head coach. Schueler was the interim head coach at SAPC in the summer of 2005 before Coach Billy Lee was hired in August of that year. Mand said, “Knights’ men’s basketball is in good hands with Richie Schueler at the helm during this interim period while we identify and select the next leader of the program.”
