He was part of more than 500 Golden Eaglette victories, including 408 wins and 12 Ohio Valley Conference championships during his 20 seasons as head coach.
Last Wednesday, Bill Worrell announced his retirement as our women's basketball coach.

Worrell, who will turn 60 this month, returned to his alma mater in 1981 as an assistant coach, then took over as head coach in 1986. He posted a 408-190 record as head coach, and the team was 501-244 during his 25 seasons on the staff. He was named OVC Coach of the Year four times in women's basketball in addition to one OVC Coach of the Year award in men's tennis.

"My family means a great deal to me, I'm healthy, and I've just reached a point in my life to make a change," Worrell says. He informed the team of his decision at a meeting last week, then reflected briefly on the team's success.

"The players are the reason for our success," Worrell says. "Every one of them has come in here and represented this school well, and I'm most proud that they've come in here, been successful and graduated.

"That's the ‘tradition' of our program, and our players have grasped what it means to be an Eaglette. That's what I tried to instill in our players. It's what (former coach) Marynell (Meadors) had set down, and I didn't find it difficult coming in here and continuing that tradition.

"I'm very proud of what we've accomplished, the things we've done, the teams we've beaten and the graduation of the players," he says.

Director of Athletics Mark Wilson says Worrell will be missed.

"I know Bill will still be actively engaged in the community and in Tennessee Tech athletics," says Wilson, "and we wish him the very best in his retirement.

"I really appreciate his long-term tenure and years of service to the university. Bill Worrell is an excellent coach, and I'm honored that I had the opportunity to work alongside him. We will certainly miss him."

Worrell wrapped up his 20th season as head coach during the 2005-2006 season, leading the team to an unprecedented 16th league championship. The Eaglettes were 23-9, shared the OVC regular season title with a 17-3 mark and earned a bid to the Women's National Invitation Tournament where they claimed a win over Belmont before being eliminated at Western Kentucky.

"I never knew it was going to be now," Worrell says about his decision to step down. "It just came about. There was no reason or event. I just decided during the season that I can't do this anymore. I knew the time was right."

During Worrell's 20 seasons, the Eaglettes enjoyed a monopoly on the league's throne with 12 regular season crowns.

"There are so many people to thank who have meant so much to me during my career," he says. "The community, the university, the kids and the coaches. I couldn't have been at a better school."

The team's amazing work ethic was a reflection of Worrell's passion for success, on the court, in the classroom and in life. With his final victory in 2003-04, he surpassed Meadors to become the winningest coach in Eaglette history, and this past season he achieved his milestone 400th career victory.

Year after year, Tennessee Tech has ranked among the most outstanding women's basketball programs in the nation, becoming one of just eight collegiate women's program to claim 700 all-time victories. Tech's 771 all-time wins stand as the seventh most successful program in the nation.

Year after year, the Eaglettes led the OVC in attendance and ranked among the top 35 nationally.

In his 20 seasons as head coach, Tech made nine trips to the post-season with eight appearances in the NCAA tournament, including five seasons in a row between 1989 and 1993. The Golden Eaglettes won or shared 12 regular season OVC titles under Worrell and eight OVC tournament crowns. His teams posted a 245-67 league record during his tenure -- an incredible .785 league winning percentage.

During a three-year span, Worrell's Eaglettes won an OVC-record 28 consecutive games.

Worrell has always taken pride in Tech's record, especially considering the caliber of competition the Eaglettes face each year. Despite always battling the toughest schedule in the OVC, Tech is still the only league team ever to earn a national ranking.

A New Jersey native, Worrell played basketball here from 1964 to 1967, lettering each year under coach Kenny Sidwell. Following his playing days, he spent two years as a graduate assistant with the men's squad.

Worrell received his bachelor's degree from Tech in 1968, followed by a master's degree in 1969. Prior to his return to Cookeville in 1981, Worrell coached in the high school and junior college ranks for 10 years in New Jersey.

As a Tech assistant coach from 1981 to 1986, Worrell helped the Eaglettes produce a 93-54 record, including an OVC championship in 1982, two trips to the NCAA tournament, and a visit to the WNIT. While an assistant coach with the women's basketball team, Worrell also directed the men's tennis team and was named OVC Coach of the Year in 1986.

The promotion of Worrell to head coach came in April 1986, and he didn't waste any time making his mark in the 1986-87 season. He stepped into the spotlight with the Eaglettes by capturing the 1987 OVC championship with a 12-2 record and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. He earned his first of four OVC Coach of the Year awards in women's basketball; he won the honor again in 1990, 1992 and 2004.

Among his recruits, there have been 19 players who have earned All-America selection, seven who received Kodak all-region honors, two Academic All-Americans, four academic all-district winners, six OVC Players of the Year, eight Ohio Valley Conference Rookie of the Year winners and six players named OVC Female Athlete of the Year.

Many of Worrell's recruited student-athletes have also been inducted into the Tech Sports Hall of Fame, including seven basketball recruits and one of his tennis recruits.
In addition to all the victories, honors and awards that come from success on the court, there is one other ingredient that has set the Golden Eaglettes apart -- Worrell's players receive a high-quality education and earn their degrees. In his 20 seasons as head coach, Worrell has seen nearly every single player accept her diploma and take her experiences as a Golden Eaglette into a successful and rewarding life after basketball.