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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bill McCoach, the man who served as the “Voice of Lehigh Athletics” for more than a quarter century, passed away peacefully on March 18 at age 90. McCoach spent 27 seasons as a public address announcer for Lehigh Athletics and lent his voice to thousands of athletic events across a breadth of sports until he stepped away at the conclusion at the 2014-15 school year.
McCoach initially started with Lehigh as the public address announcer for the men’s and women’s basketball teams at the start of the 1988-89 basketball season. He compiled a streak of 560 consecutive basketball games behind the microphone that ended due to a bout of laryngitis in December 2009. He continued working basketball games through the end of the 2014-15 season. In total, McCoach worked 701 Lehigh men’s and women’s basketball games and was behind the mic for five Patriot League Championship games at Stabler Arena. In those games, Lehigh was a perfect 5-0.
The Bethlehem native added public address responsibilities for football in 1997 and worked 102 football games, including nine rivalry games versus Lafayette and NCAA playoff games at Goodman Stadium in 2001 and 2004.
In addition to his work at Lehigh, McCoach was an active high school wrestling announcer beginning as the public address voice for Bethlehem Catholic wrestling and also serving as the voice of the District XI and Northeast Regional wrestling tournaments. McCoach was inducted into the District XI Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995 and added wrestling to his list of many Lehigh assignments when the renovated Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall opened in 2003.
McCoach also lent his voice to a number of Lehigh Olympic sports including soccer, field hockey, volleyball, cross country, track and field, lacrosse, baseball and softball.
“Bill McCoach was more than a public address announcer and a fixture at Lehigh sporting events, he was a caring, devoted and passionate friend to most of our staff and many of our athletes,” Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett said. “He was a beloved member of our Lehigh Athletics family and he will be missed.”
A 1950 graduate of Bethlehem High School, McCoach was drafted into the Army and served two years in Korea. Upon his return, he studied for two years at Moravian College. McCoach was married to his wife Evelyn for 60 years until her passing in 2013. He has two sons, Bill Jr. and Scott, and four grandchildren.
McCoach spent the last three years of his life with his son Scott and his family in Brandon, Fla.
Funeral services will be held in Bethlehem on April 23. McCoach’s complete obituary can be found HERE.
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