Wabash's Mac Petty and players receive NCAC honors

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

CRAWFORDSVILLE -- Head Coach Mac Petty has been named the 2010 North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Three of Petty's players -- seniors Aaron Brock and Cloverdale's Chase Haltom, and junior Wes Smith -- were named to the All-Conference Team.

Smith and Brock earned First Team All-NCAC Honors, while Haltom was a Second Team All-NCAC selection.

Haltom also became the 25th player in Little Giants history to record 1,000 points for a career.

The NCAC Coach of the Year Award is the first for Petty since Wabash joined the league in 1999 and is the first such award in his 37-year coaching career. Petty completed his 34th season at Wabash, guiding his Little Giant team to an 18-8 overall record and a 12-4 mark in NCAC games. Last year's Wabash team went 14-13 overall and 7-9 in league play, finishing sixth in the NCAC standings. Wabash finished second in the final 2009-2010 NCAC standings for only the second time since joining the conference. The 12-4 NCAC record is the second-best for the Little Giants since going 13-3 in their opening season in the league during the 1999-2000 season.

Petty has produced a record 477-383 in 34 seasons at Wabash and has an overall coaching record of 525-411. He earned National Division III Coach of the Year Honors after his Wabash team won the 1982 NCAA DIII National Title and is a two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches District Coach of the Year Award recipient.

"We are all very proud of Mac and his team's accomplishments," Wabash College Director of Athletics Dr. Thomas Bambrey said. "The Coach of the Year Award is selected by his peers across the North Coast Athletic Conference. Their decision to honor Mac with this award shows the respect and appreciation he has earned from those coaches for the hard work both he and the Wabash players have put forth this year."