Gretchen Prichard
Birthdate: September 7, 1936
Birthplace: Spencerville, Ohio
High School: Spencerville (1954)
College: Muskingum (1958)
Year Inducted: 2011
Gretchen Prichard started the girls high school basketball program at Lima Bath High School in 1971, the 11th of her 37 years on the school’s teaching staff. Her first team had an 11-1 record and started a 62-game winning streak that ended in 1976 – the year of the first state tournament in Ohio. Over 26 seasons, Prichard’s teams won 460 games while losing only 116 – a 79.9 winning percentage. Bath won the 1987 state Class AA championship with a 26-1 record and was ranked No. 1 in the state in 1996 when it took a 27-0 record into the championship game only to be upset by Garfield Heights Trinity. It was one of six undefeated regular seasons for Prichard, who was named Ohio Coach of the Year. Nine of her players received Division I scholarships and 40 went on to excel in college basketball. The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association named her its Coach of the Year in 1998 – her final season. Prichard’s three children – Clarke, Patrick and Amy — were All-Ohio players at Lima Bath.
Watch Gretchen Prichard’s acceptance speech:
