The College of Wooster men’s basketball program has a long and storied history, dating back to 1901 and spanning 1,762 victories, which ranks as the second-highest total among NCAA Division III schools. The Scots established their winning ways early on, thanks mainly to a pair of legendary coaches – E.M. “Mose” Hole and Al Van Wie. Boles in 1926 after the legendary football mentor had led Wooster
to an 86-74 record in basketball, including the Scots’ first-ever conference championship in the 1922 season when Wooster went 14-1. Hole directed the Scots to a 412-181 record over a 32-year period between 1926 and 1958. His coaching resumé includes five championships in the Ohio Athletic Conference and six other runner-up finishes in that league. Hole was such a legend that the team was often referred to as the Holemen, rather than the Scots, in the local media. Van Wie took over three years after Hole retired and quickly established himself as one of the top small-college coaches in the region. The “Dutchman” led Wooster to a record of 302-216 over a 21-year period between 1961 and 1982. Van Wie directed the Scots to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including their first trip to the “Sweet 16” in 1977-78, and one Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title. Recently-retired Wooster head coach Steve Moore became a legend in his own right. Six years after Van Wie’s retirement, Moore took over the reins of the program and has compiled an incredible record of f 780-188 in 33 years,
averaging 23.6 wins per season. The school’s all-time leader in winning percentage (.806), Moore led the Scots to 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, 20 regular season North Coast Athletic Conference championships, and 17 NCAC Tournament titles. Wooster is now led by Doug Cline, a 1995 alumnus. Few people, if any, understand The College of Wooster basketball experience more fully than Cline, who was a full-time member of the coaching staff for 24 years prior to taking the reins upon Moore's retirement.
