Will Rey

Will Rey named head coach at Wilmington College

WILMINGTON (June 10, 2003) ‹ Will Rey, formerly an assistant coach at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio, has been hired by Wilmington College to serve as the Quakers' new head men's basketball coach effective August 1, 2003.

Rey will be the 18th head men's basketball coach in school history. He replaces Scott Stemple, who resigned this spring after a career record of 70-156 in nine seasons. Rey's task will be to turn around a program that has had only two winning seasons since 1980. He inherits a team that lost just three seniors from a 4-22 season in 2003-03.

"I am very excited about this opportunity," commented Coach Rey. "I felt that going through the interview process that (Wilmington College) was a great fit. I was the most concerned about being in the right situation, a place where I thought I could get along with the people, and where they would be supportive to the efforts that one would put forth as a coach. I felt that it was a good fit, right from the beginning. I felt really comfortable. I didn't have to change anything about myself to get along with everyone there. That is the thing that impressed me the most."

Will received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, IL in 1976 while receiving his Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling degree from Concordia University in River Forest IL in 1985.

Rey got his start in collegiate coaching as an assistant to Jim Crews at the University of Evansville in 1985. While at Evansville he helped the team to a NCAA Tournament and NIT Tournament berth while also leading the squad to a pair of conference championships. He moved on to take the head coaching job at Loyola University in Chicago in 1989 where the program improved their win-loss record in his first three seasons.

Rey then joined St. Mary's University of Minnesota, a Division III basketball program where, in his first season, he recorded the most conference victories by the school in their previous nine seasons. He then left St. Mary's to join the Wright State basketball program in 1997. By his fourth season at Wright State, the program had a record of 18-11, and with a 17-11 record the next year, the program had the best back-to-back record in almost a decade. In 1999, the team defeated sixth ranked and eventual National Champion Michigan State University, while last season defeated Butler University, who came into the game undefeated ranked 20th in the nation.

Coach Rey also has eight years of coaching experience at the high school level, coaching at Gordon Tech High School in Chicago, Crete-Monee High School in Crete, IL and Fenwick High School in Oak Park IL. During those eight seasons, he amassed a combined 180-105 (.632) record while making one "Elite Eight" appearance and a pair of "Sweet 16" appearances to go with three conference championships, 11 tournament championships and receiving a Chicago Sun-Times Coaching Recognition.

Rey has produced three Best-Selling Instructional Videotapes for Coaches and Players: Running The Team: Skills and Drills for Playing the Point, Combination Defenses and Low Post Play, while also publishing articles on basketball coaching in USA Coaches' Clinics Notebook, Five Star Basketball Camp Lectures, Five Star Basketball Camp Drill Book, Winning Hoops and Van Coleman's Roundball Review.

He has also been a lecturer, resident coach and administrator at that nationally renowned Five Star Basketball Camp for 14 years.

"Hopefully the whole idea is to build a program that will do well on the court, as well as give good experiences for the student-athletes that are a part of the program," said the new head coach. "That they will have an enjoyable experience at Wilmington College, not just academically and socially, but also an enjoyable experience athletically with basketball. Hopefully I can set up a program where they can reach their individual potential and become the best that they can, not just in the classroom but also on the basketball floor as well."

Rey currently resides in Beavercreek, Ohio with his wife Diane and their three children, Christina, Jacqueline and Robert.