varsity news

Durham Lords Media Release
Thursday, February 04, 2010

Legendary Durham College head coach hall of fame bound

OSHAWA, Ont. – The Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced this week that legendary Durham College women’s volleyball head coach Stan Marchut will be an inductee at the 25th anniversary Hall of Fame ceremony.

“We are for excited for Stan as he receives this great honour,” said Ken Babcock, Durham College athletic director. “The Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame selection committee could not have picked a better candidate for induction. Stan established himself over his legendary coaching career as one of the greatest Volleyball Coaches in Canadian College history. He was a great coach and even better person.”

Marchut will enter the Hall of Fame along with Jim Lutton (Baseball), Barb Boyes (Field Lacrosse), Jean Pratt (Golf) and Jeff Daniels (Hockey) on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at the GMC.

STAN MARCHUT – A LEGENDARY COACH

Three hundred and fifty seven career victories. The highest win total ever in CCAA women’s volleyball history. Four provincial championship titles and ten provincial medals. Six national championship appearances. Thirteen Regional Titles. Seven coach-of-the-year awards. These are just some of the many accomplishments achieved by longtime Durham College women’s volleyball head coach Stan Marchut.

Born in Oshawa in 1938, Marchut began his involvement at Durham College as the Head Coach of the Women's Volleyball Program in 1984, after a successful career teaching at Eastdale Collegiate and heading up their volleyball program.

Winning was never an issue for Marchut and the Lords, as in his first season with the team, the Lords managed to capture the OCAA Division II championship. The following season (in only the programs second year), the Lords made headlines once again as they won their first OCAA Division I championship, booking the program’s first trip to the CCAA National Championship in Burnaby, British Columbia.. Out West, the Lords became only the second team from Ontario to win a CCAA medal (bronze) at the national championships.

Since their early success, Marchut and the Lords program has returned to the National Championship five more times, as the host in 1990, Ontario Champions in 1999 and 2002, and as the wildcard entry in 1998 and 2004.

The Durham Lords women’s volleyball team program has been dominant on the OCAA Volleyball circuit. In twenty four years, the Lords have never missed the playoffs and have failed to qualify for the OCAA Championships only once. The Lords have also managed to put together an impressive streak of qualifying for the provincial championships for the last 17 consecutive years. Durham has won twelve regional championships along with eleven provincial medals, four of which were gold (1985, 1986, 1999 and 2002).

Marchut’s win total reached an amazing milestone this season as he recorded his 350th career victory. He is the all-time winningest coach in CCAA women’s volleyball history with an overall record of 357-137 (247-77 conference play). "His record 357 career wins and qualifying for the OCAA Provincial College Championships in 23 of his 24 seasons is simply incredible and unparallel in college sport,” noted Babcock. “I wish him well in his retirement from coaching."

The long-time coach has also garnered the respect from his peers from around the country. He has been named OCAA Coach of the Year seven times and in 1994, he received the CCAA Career Coaching Excellence Award (becoming only the third Ontario coach to win the national recognition)..

Most recently, Marchut and the Lords coaching staff were honoured as the 2008 OCAA Championship Fair Play award recipients, as the championship host committee recognized Durham’s coaches for their respect towards their opponents, teammates, referees, officials and spectators.

For his many accomplishments with the program, Marchut received the highest honour one can achieve within Durham College Athletics as he was inducted into the Durham College Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

MARCHUT’S MAGNIFICENT CAREER
Head Coach of the Lords: 1984-85 to 2007-08

Overall Record: 357-137 (.723 winning percentage)
Conference Record: 247-77 (.762 winning percentage)

National Championship Appearances (Six): 1986, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004
Ontario Championships (Four): 1985 *Division II, 1986, 1999, 2002
Regional Championships (Thirteen): 1986, 1987, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008

CCAA Career Coaching Excellence Award: 1999
OCAA Coach of the Year: Seven Times

OSHAWA THIS WEEK

Barb Boyes couldn't begin to say how many kids she's influenced along the way in building an astounding resume in lacrosse.

Jim Lutton? Well, he's pinned the number down to 497 when asked how many players he managed in his 50 years running the Oshawa Legionaires junior baseball club.

What's certain is that both are deserving candidates for induction into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame, a fact recognized Monday when they were officially announced for the honour in 2010.

Jeff Daniels, Stan Marchut and Jean Pratt are also among the new inductees to be feted during a 25th anniversary celebration on May 26 at the General Motors Centre.

Boyes, who said she was "speechless" when informed of the honour, is being inducted primarily for her work with the Oshawa Lady Blue Knights field lacrosse program she founded in 2000. As a coach and administrator, she has helped 18 young women earn U.S. college scholarships in the sport in the past five years.

"It's a passion and a hobby, something I just do naturally," she said during a reception at the GM Centre Monday. "It's fun for me. It's really rewarding to see the results that occur from the work that I do."

Lutton and Pratt were also at Monday's reception, while Daniels was unable to attend thanks to his duties as coach and GM of the Albany River Rats and Marchut was at home dealing with health issues.

Lutton, who guided the Legionaires to four Ontario championships from 1999 to 2004, learned of the honour three weeks ago.

"It took me about two weeks before it truly sunk in as to what it means," he said. "It's a good thing they have the double doors open because I couldn't get my head through."

Pratt, being inducted as both a player and builder in golf, was equally proud.

"It means a lot to me," said Pratt, who has won several club championships in addition to being a tireless volunteer. "I never expected something like this."

Daniels played four seasons with the Oshawa Generals and 425 games in the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup in 1992, before turning to coaching.

Marchut retired as the Durham College women's volleyball coach in 2008, after amassing a record 357 wins and 10 OCAA medals in a 24-year run.

Look for more coverage of the inductees and the ceremony in coming editions and online at durhamregion.com.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca