Feb. 10, 2008
By Matt Daniels, Citizen Tribune

Walters State men’s basketball coach Bill Carlyle has received many accolades in his 31-year stint as the head man of the Senator program.

During his time at Walters State, Carlyle has been selected TJCCAA Coach of the Year 14 times, NJCAA Region VII Coach of the Year three times and reached the national tournament three times.

In addition, Carlyle has guided the Senators to 14 TJCCAA Eastern Division crowns, seven TJCCAA titles and three NJCAA Region VII championships. Add in 650 wins at Walters State, and that amounts to an impressive résumé.

The career worksheet was honored recently when Carlyle received one of the biggest phone calls of his coaching career.

On Tuesday morning, Carlyle learned that he had been elected to the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He will be inducted at the NJCAA Men’s Division I Tournament in Hutchinson (Kan.) March 18.

“It truly is an honor to be named to the Hall of Fame,” Carlyle said. “It just shows that we have had some really good players come through here in the last 31 years.

“I wouldn’t be in this position without the help of my assistant coaches through the years, as well as having a strong group of guys playing here at Walters State.

“It’s a humbling experience and it is definitely one of the highlights of my career. I’ve been truly blessed to be in this profession and do what I love.”
Carlyle has become a legend around Morristown due to his coaching, but his basketball roots began at Morristown High, where he was a star hoop player for the Hurricanes.

Carlyle enrolled at Cumberland College after graduation and set the individual scoring record at the then two-year school with 668 points in the 1959-60 season.

Following the two years at Cumberland, Carlyle transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan where he still holds the all-time school mark with 22 field goals made in a single game.

After his stellar playing career came to an end, Carlyle began his coaching career at the high school level.

Carlyle held coaching jobs at Sacramento High in Kentucky and Bulls Gap High School before winning a state championship coaching the Maury High School girls’ team in 1966.

Coaching at the high school level molded Carlyle into a better coach and he soon found himself drawn to the college ranks.

Carlyle was head coach at Parsons College in Iowa for three seasons, and he finished in the top-20 in NCAA Division II both years.

Carlyle also served as an assistant coach to Guy Strong at Oklahoma State and also served as an assistant at East Tennessee State.
During his time at both Division I programs, Carlyle met some influential people, but two in particular have become life long peers in the coaching business.

Carlyle recruited Lady Senators coach Dave Kragel to Oklahoma State when he was a junior college All-American and brought Kragel with him when the cries of home were too strong to ignore.

Both Carlyle and Kragel have become the faces of the Walters State basketball programs with each in the midst of their 31st season.
While at ETSU, Carlyle met and became friends with Dr. Foster Chason, who became an administrator and coach at Chattanooga State before taking over for Ron Carr as Director of Athletics at Walters State.

Chason has enjoyed watching the progress of Carlyle’s coaching career. Now he has a front row seat to see his friend on the sidelines.

“I have known Bill since 1968 and we have been in the league together since 1977 when he came to Walters State,” Chason said.

“I have sincerely enjoyed his competitive spirit and friendship for many years and I am extremely happy for the tremendous success he has had.

“I also am very happy to be associated with Bill here at Walters State. He ranks with the best in the nation and I was glad to be part of the nomination process for his election to the Hall of Fame.”

During his long coaching tenure, Carlyle has touched the lives of many people and players.

He has coached more than 100 players that have signed with four-year schools after their time at Walters State. His impact with his former players both on and off the court is evident when speaking to them.

The teaching impact from Carlyle is clear in one of his most prized pupils, Jerry Nichols.

Nichols was a two-time All-American for the Senators, leading Walters State to two appearances in the national tournament where he was named to the All-Tournament team.

Nichols spent last season as an assistant for Carlyle and is currently working on his Masters Degree at Union College, where he is an assistant for coach Kelly Combs.

“I couldn’t be happier for coach Carlyle. He is very deserving of being in the Hall of Fame,” Nichols said.

“As good of a coach as he is, he is a better person. I’m happy that I had him as a coach and I’m glad he is a friend.

“He has always been there when I’ve needed him and I try to be that way for my players as well. He is the one person I know that will drop what he is doing to give me advice or help me with anything.”

With the induction ceremony taking place the night before the national tournament begins, Carlyle made it clear that it will not mean as much if his team is not there.

“I get a trip to Kansas out of it, but we need to continue to work hard as a team to get us all out there together,” Carlyle said. “I really don’t care about being there if I can’t have my team there with me to celebrate it.”