The head of a basketball team in Bucks County is retiring after 45 years of coaching and bringing his players to victory. Tom Moore wrote about the coach’s career for Philly Burbs.

Holy Ghost Prep’s basketball team is saying goodbye to coach Tony Chapman, who has lead the team since 1978. The coach has seen his team play well over 1,000 games, with  928 wins and 351 losses to his name.

Chapman graduated form the school in 1971. Seven years later, he began coaching the team, and became a fixture of the school’s culture as well as the local high school sports scene.

“I’ll miss the personal contact with the kids,” Chapman said. “Your season is over three or four months, but you kind of get to know 12 or 15 kids better than the average student in the classroom. I’ll miss the games more than the practices.”

Chapman will continue in his role as the school’s dean of students.

Read more about the coach at Philly Burbs.

_____