A Legacy of Wins
He joined the University to play sports.
His generosity will impact future athletes for years to come.
A solid performer
Dick’s DeLaney’s love affair with West Chester University began the moment he stepped into Farrell Stadium with his father as a prospective athlete.
After a meeting with coach Dr. Glenn Killinger and the words, “I like you and your dad, I’ll give you a chance,” Dick’s passion for and commitment to WCU began.
As a student-athlete, he played soccer for legendary Coach Mel Lorback, four years of baseball for Coach Killinger, and was captain of the baseball team his senior year. He graduated from WCU with a bachelor’s of science in kinesiology—to him, one of his greatest undergraduate achievements, as his love of education and sports paved the way for his career as a teacher and a coach.
Toby and Richard (Dick) S. DeLaney ’69
West Chester University Foundation donors since 1979
Their generosity to and love for West Chester University and its students led to their creation of the Dick DeLaney Scholarship Endowment.
Inspiring young athletes
Dick left his mark and built friendships at each institution he served. Following his time as a coach and educator at Great Valley High School, he spent 11 years at Philadelphia University, holding the positions of assistant professor of health and physical education, assistant soccer coach, assistant basketball coach and intramural director and academic advisor for student-athletes.
As if this weren’t enough, he served as head coach for the University’s baseball team, achieving an impressive 118-90 record for eight years and securing the University’s first-ever spot in the NCAA playoffs.
In 1987, Dick’s path turned back to WCU when Dick Yoder, West Chester University’s former director of athletics, extended an offer to him to coach the men’s basketball team—and to build the program.
Dick understood that success takes time. Believing that success comes through fostering good relationships with players and between players, Dick recognized that it also comes from encouraging and supporting academically well-rounded student-athletes. Driving student success over his 21 years as head basketball coach, 100% of the players he recruited graduated.
Recognizing the need for additional funding, Dick and his wife, Toby, joined forces with friends, dedicated alumni, and the players and their families to raise money through firehouse pancake breakfasts and silent auctions to the team going—and achieving.
Leaving their mark
For his achievements, dedication, and love, Dick was chosen as PSAC Coach of the Year in 1991, 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Also in 2004, he was recognized as the National Association of Basketball Coaches Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year.
Dick took the basketball team to its first NCAA Tournament. His team achieved 20 wins for the first time in the 1991-1992 season, along with an ECAC Division II Final Four appearance and a PSAC Eastern Division crown in 1994, marking the team’s first NCAA Division II trip in the 1993-1994 season. He eventually added to this record with 20 wins in the 2001-2002 season.
Dick’s love of basketball and his teams are bested only by the love he has for his family, especially his wife, whom he met at The Rat in West Chester. Dick will proudly tell anyone that Toby has her own list of athletic achievements: high school field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, and in college, field hockey, lacrosse, and swimming at Western Maryland, now McDaniel College.
While achieving her own success for 25 years at Home Box Office (HBO), Toby proved to be Dick’s —and WCU’s — most indefatigable booster, working tirelessly alongside her husband to fundraise for both WCU and for the team. Their partnership has carried them through 35 years of marriage, giving them the gift of two sons. Tim is the vice-president of broadcasting for the Arizona Cardinals. He lives in Arizona with his wife Melissa and daughters Anna and Margaret. Michael is a West Chester University graduate and lives in Arizona with his fiancée Colette. He is the southwest regional account manager at Altec.
Their generosity to and love for West Chester University and its students led to their creation of the Dick DeLaney Scholarship Endowment. Awarded to a WCU Men’s Basketball student-athlete, the scholarship helps students succeed on the court—and fulfill their dreams of graduating from college.