Coach Dan George

One of the highlights at the Hope College/Holland Sentinel Tournament this past weekend for Tiger Assistant Coach, Dan George, was a reunion with Rochester College Head Coach, Garth Pleasant.  Fans may have noticed the bear hug each gave the other at center court after Saturday’s Tiger victory in the championship game.  “It was a pleasure to see Garth again after all these years.  He helped me immensely when I first started at coaching at Jordan College over thirty years ago.  He was coaching at Michigan Christian, which later became Rochester College.  Garth gave me advice on everything from teams to schedule, recruiting, and athletic administration.  He asked nothing in return and he was a great friend in those early years.  Gary was playing for me in those years.  It occurred to me that without that help I may have never recruited Gary Bailey from southern Ohio to play for me, Gary and I never would be coaching together at Grace, and Garth and I wouldn’t have our little reunion on Saturday.  Garth has built a legacy at Rochester, with over 700 wins, and he will retire at the end of this season, turning  the coaching duties over to his son, Klint.”

“We never know, as we go through life, how many lives we touch, how many people we influence.  I always had great respect for Garth, the way he handled his teams, his willingness to share knowledge and advice, and the passion he had for kids.  I wish Garth God’s blessings and a wonderful retirement.”