Paul Webb, the former basketball coach of Old Dominion University, has passed away at the age of 94. Webb had a successful coaching career, leading the Monarchs to a 22-game winning streak in their first season in Division I in 1976-77 and guiding them to nine postseason tournament appearances in 10 seasons.
Webb died on Friday at his home in Virginia Beach, surrounded by his four children. His wife, Charlotte, had passed away on the same date two years earlier. According to his oldest son, Eddie Webb, the former coach had been in declining health in recent months.
Webb joined Old Dominion in 1975 after coaching for 19 years at Randolph-Macon, where Eddie played for him. He replaced Sonny Allen as the head coach, who left for SMU after leading the Monarchs to the Division II national title. Webb quickly found success with the team, taking them back to the Division II Final Four in his first year.
In the following season, Old Dominion moved to Division I and had an impressive 25-4 record, including wins over Mississippi State, Georgetown, and Virginia. However, they lost to Syracuse in the ECAC championship game and missed out on the NCAA tournament.
During his tenure, Webb led the Monarchs to four NCAA Tournament appearances and five NIT appearances. His teams achieved notable upsets, defeating No. 1 DePaul, No. 3 Syracuse, and Clemson in the NIT. He retired in 1985 with a total of 511 career victories, making him one of the winningest coaches in college basketball at the time.
Dr. Wood Selig, ODU’s director of athletics, expressed his admiration for Webb, saying, “It’s hard to think about ODU basketball without thinking of Paul Webb.” Webb was highly respected not only for his coaching abilities but also for his character. Kenny Gattison, who played for Webb at Old Dominion in the early 1980s before having a successful NBA career, described him as “the best human being I’ve ever known.”
Webb was born in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1929, and graduated from Petersburg High School and the College of William and Mary. Before his coaching career, he coached basketball at Highland Springs High School near Richmond. Funeral arrangements for Webb are currently pending.
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Original Story at www.foxsports.com – 2023-12-09 19:51:30
