Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 7 November 1996 — Page 22

The Muncie Times, November 7, 1996, Page 22 Ray McCallum begins fourth season for the Cardinals

Ray McCallum, a 1983 graduate of Ball State University and the all-time leading scorer in BSU basketball history, was named the Cardinals’ head men’s basketball coach Oct. 29,1993. In his first three seasons, he has guided the Cardinals to a 51-35 overall record — an average of 17 wins per season — and a 33-21 Mid-American Conference mark. A year ago, McCallum guided the Cardinals to a MAC Tournament first-round win at Ohio before suffering a semifinal loss to Eastern Michigan, which went on to beat Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In only his second season at

the helm, McCallum led BSU to a 19-11 overall record, a Mid-Am Tournament Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. McCallum came to Ball State in 1993 with goals of developing student-athletes, winning basketball games and a commitment of making his alma mater one of the top programs in the conference each and every year. Working with a variety of people on the BSU campus and in the Muncie community, McCallum has had regular sessions with the athletes to develop an assortment of lifestyle and managerial skills. From the winning standpoint all of McCallum’s teams have finished in the top four of the league and qualified for the MAC Tournament semifinals each year, including the championship in 1995. McCallum also came to Ball State with the goal of upgrading the school’s non-conference schedule to prepare the Cardinals for the always competitive and rigorous conference slate. In Just three years. Ball State

has hosted Michigan in University Arena plus will have one of the best non-league schedules in the school’s history this season when it faces Big Ten foes Michigan and Wisconsin plus plays in a tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Ball State as the school’s and the MAC’s all-time leading scorer, McCallum set his sights on a college coaching career. Before returning to Muncie, he spent nine seasons as assistant coach at Wisconsin and Michigan. McCallum, who was inducted into the BSU State Men’s Athletic Hall of Fame Nov. 5, 1993, spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin prior to becoming an assistant coach at Michigan in the spring of 1993. At Wisconsin, McCallum worked eight years under the direction of former Ball State head men’s basketball coach Steve Yoder and one year as an assistant for Stu Jackson. McCallum served as the Badgers’ recruiting coordinator and helped sign two of the most

highly regarded recruiting classes in school history. McCallum was an integral factor in the signing of Michael Finley, who earned All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore; Tracy Webster, who led the Big Ten in both assists and steals in 1992-93; and Rashard Griffith, one of the country’s most highly touted high school seniors in the 1992-93 recruiting class. McCallum also helped Wisconsin, a school which had not made a postseason appearance since 1947, to the National Invitation Tournament in 1989 and 1991. A native of Muncie, Ind., McCallum earned four letters in basketball for the Cardinals from 1979 through 1983. Besides winning numerous awards and setting a variety of school records, McCallum was honored by then Muncie Mayor Alan Wilson, who proclaimed Feb. 23, 1983, as Ray McCallum Day in Muncie. A feature story about McCallum’s career appeared in the March 7, 1983, issue of Sports Illustrated, and, on March 16 of the same year, a

resolution honoring McCallum was adopted in a joint session of the Indiana Fegislature. At Ball State’s postseason honors banquet on March 28, 1983, McCallum’s uniform number 10 became the first and still only officially retired number in the history of the university. At the conclusion of the 198283 academic year, McCallum was presented the Campus Headliner Award, given annually to the person or organization doing the most to bring positive headlines to BSU. McCallum, who received the Naismith Award as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate senior under 6-feet tall, graduated as the school and MAC’S all-time leading scorer. A 1979 graduate of Muncie Central High School, he helped the Bearcats to the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Championship in 1978 and 1979. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1979 IHSAA State Tournament plus was selected to the all-state first team.

Bill Lynch at the Cardinal helm for the second year

Bill Fynch. who spent the 1990. 1991 and 1992 seasons as an assistant coach at Ball State University returned as the school’s 13th head football coach March 7,1995. In his initial season at the helm, Fynch inherited a team

that was 5-1 overall in 1994, and led the Cardinals to a 7-4 overall mark and a third-place tie in the Mid-American Conference with a 6-2 league ledger. “We were very excited to be able to attract an individual of Bill Fynch's character,” says Andrea Seger, director of Intercollegiate athletics. He is very well respected in the state of Indiana and in the Midwest. This is a very exciting time for Ball State University as we emphasize our commitment to the Mid-American Conference and NCAA Division 1A football. and we are very proud to have Bill Fynch lead our football team.”

Fynch spent 1993 and 1994 as the quarterbacks coach at fndian^ University under the guidance of head coach Bill Mallory. Prior to that, he served as BSU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1990 and 1991. In 1992. Fynch remained as the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator and was given the additional duties of assistant head coach. He was instrumental in the development of quarterback Mike Neu, the 1993 MidAmerican Conference Most Valuable Player, plus running backs Bernie Parmalee and Corey Croom, both of whom are playing in the National

Football Feague. Fynch spent the 1985 through 1989 seasons as the head coach at Butler University, where the Bulldogs compiled a 36-12-3 overall record, a 19-2 conference mark and became the first Heartland Collegiate Conference school to win three straight league titles. The Bulldogs ranked second in the NCAA Division II Top-20 poll in four of Fynch’s five seasons. He was named the league's Coach of the Year for a third straight time and a fourth time in five seasons in 1989. Fynch also served as an assistant coach for the Orlando Renegades of the U.S. Football

Feague in the winter of 1984, offensive coordinator at Northern Illinois University in the fall of 1984, and offensive coordinator at Butler from 1977 through 1983. As a collegiate studentathlete, Fynch lettered four seasons in football and basketball and was a three-time Fittle All-American in football. Fynch, the Indiana Collegiate Conference Most Valuable Player each'of his last three seasons, completed his career as Butler’s all-time leading passer with 5,909 yards. Fynch was also a two-time team captain and all-conference performer in basketball.