GENEVA, Pa. (EYT) – Former Clarion University men’s basketball coach Ron Galbreath passed away over the weekend.
Galbreath spent five seasons at Clarion from 1970-74 turning around the Golden Eagle program and setting the stage for three decades of success under his next three predecessors – Joe DeGregorio, Dick Taylor and Ron Righter.
His Golden Eagle squads won a pair of PSAC West championships and advanced to the NAIA Tournament – Clarion was in the NAIA at the time of Galbreath coaching- in each of his last four seasons and he amassed a record of 75-46 while at Clarion. The 75 victories are the fifth most in school history while his .620 winning percentage is the third best at Clarion and No. 2 among coaches who spent at least five seasons at the school.
Overall, Galbreath, who was honored with the Clarion YMCA Sportsmanship I Sportsperson of the Year honor in 2016, recorded over 600 wins in his collegiate coaching career that began at Westminster in the 1968-69 season before continuing at Clarion from 1970-74 and then again at Westminster from 1975-98 before ending with a stint at the head of the Geneva’s women’s program from 2003-2008.
During those 36 years of coaching, he amassed an incredible record of 634-192 with 14 20-win season and 32 seasons of his teams finishing .500 or better.
Eighteen of his 25 Westminster squads qualified for postseason play, and he won a pair of PSAC West crowns at Clarion while taking the Golden Eagles to the NAIA Tournament in each of his final four seasons at the helm. He also led the Geneva women to the only national-playoff appearance in school history in 2007.
Along the way, Galbreath coached five All-Americans (four at Westminster and one at Clarion) and 21 1,000-point scorers.
Honors for the native of Wampum, Pa., in Beaver County, included being a 1993 inductee of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Titan Sports Hall of Fame at Westminster.
A Westminster College graduate, Galbreath is fourth all-time in school history with 1,568 career points and was a two-time All-American (1961-62). In high school, he scored 1,003 points and helped Wampum to the 1958 PIAA Title.
Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.
