ETBU Men's Basketball Coach Bert West Retires

Bert West retires from East Texas Baptist after 22 years and 303 victories in Marshall.

3/2/2016 4:41:19 PM

ETBU Release | Video Tribute

MARSHALL, Texas – A coaching icon at East Texas Baptist University and within the American Southwest Conference, Bert West announced his retirement after 22 years as the Tigers' men's basketball head coach.

West, who completed two head coaching stints with the Tigers, is the all-time ETBU wins leader with 303 victories and totals 825 wins over his combined college and high school coaching career. West coached East Texas Baptist from 1991-97 and 2000-16.

"Coach West has been a great ambassador for ETBU throughout the city of Marshall, the American Southwest Conference and on the national scene," said ETBU Director of Athletics Kent Reeves. "We will certainly miss watching him on the Tigers sideline."

Over his ETBU career, West won two conference titles, the 1995-96 Big State Conference (NAIA) and the 2014-15 American Southwest Conference (NCAA Division III) championships. The 1995-96 squad posted a program-best 28 wins. The 2014-15 team finished 26-6, winning both ASC regular-season and tournament crowns, and advancing to the NCAA Div. III Championship Sectional round final game. The 2002-03 Tigers won the ASC East Division title and in his just-completed final season, West led the ETBU to a second ASC East Division title.

The past two seasons at ETBU have been the best in the Tigers' NCAA Div. III era with a combined 47-12 record, including a 15-5 ASC mark and 18-0 record in Ornelas Gym. Over the 2014-16 seasons, ETBU put together a 26-game home win streak and wins in 31 out of its last 32 home games.

West retires with five coach of the year awards, including ASC East Division Coach of the Year (2003, 2016), ASC Conference Coach of the Year (2015), D3hoops.com South Region Coach of the Year (2015), and Big State Coach of the Year (1996). Over the NCAA Division III era, 46 players have earned ASC postseason honors with 16 All-ASC Freshman players, eight All-ASC selections, five All-ASC Championship Tournament recipients, four ASC East Defensive Players of the Year, three ASC East Players of the Year, and one ASC Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player.

West came to East Texas Baptist as a student-athlete playing for then East Texas Baptist College under Tigers Athletic Hall of Fame coach R.C. Kennedy. West graduated in 1972 and went into coaching. He had a stellar high school coaching career in Louisiana, winning four straight Louisiana High School state championships at Zwolle High School.

Contributed by ETBU Sports Information, Adam Ledyard

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