Siegfried Goes Out on Top, Steps Down Louisville Basketball Coach
Tom Siegfried released an announcement this morning that he will be stepping down after 18 seasons as Head Coach of Louisville Leopards Boys Basketball.
Siegfried compiled a record of 270-155 during his tenure, which included:
- 4 NBC Titles
- 8 Sectional Titles
- 2 District Runner-Up
- 2 District Titles
- 1 Regional Runner-Up
- 1 Regional Title
- 1 State Championship
Siegfried Wins State Championship in Final Season
That’s right! Siegfried goes out on top with a state title victory in his final game as head coach of Leopard basketball.
Louisville ripped off 11 straight en rout to a Division III State Championship, which started with a regular season victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary and included an overtime victory over the number one team in the state in St. Ignatius. The Leopards mowed down Akron North 86-35, Cuyahoga Falls 83-51, and Northwest 62-36 to claim just its third district championship in team history, the second in four seasons under Siegfried.
Louisville escaped with a 51-46 overtime win over Columbus St. Francis DeSales and defeated #6 ranked Bishop Hartley 52-46 to enter uncharted territory heading to the state tournament for the first time in school history.
There the journey to win 11 straight continued with a dream-like 11-point fourth quarter comeback against the #1 ranked team in Garfield Heights. The Leopards never quit, reflecting the identity of their coach. A sea of blue and white traveled 11 miles west and blanketed Canton Memorial Fieldhouse, willing Louisville to a 49-48 victory and a state birth.
In Dayton, the Leopards built a 21-point lead late in the first half and withstood a furious 15-0 Falcon rally out of the locker room. Louisville weathered the storm, just as Siegfried had weathered 7-14 and 4-19 seasons in the early 2010s. Siegfried never had a losing season again and the Leopards never surrendered the lead in the second half of his final game. As Aiken’s final shot missed its mark and Louisville prevailed 63-61, Siegfried celebrated with his eight seniors including embracing his son Beau, a perfect ending for the man who dedicated endless hours to transforming the Leopards into a state powerhouse.
Siegfried Provides Stability to “The Program”
Siegfried took over as Head Coach after Matt Miglich led the Leopards to an NBC Title and a 15-6 mark in 2007. Siegfried looked to provide stability to the program and he did so by becoming the longest tenured head coach in Louisville Basketball history. In fact, he doubled the length of the previous highest 9-year coaching mark of John Morgan (1930-39).
MORE DETAILS TO COME…
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