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1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Dennie Bridges, Illinois Wesleyan University
3 athletic director and coach of the Titans basketball team,
4 has announced his retirement as coach after 36 seasons; and
5 WHEREAS, Coach Bridges is a native of Anchor, Illinois;
6 as a student at Illinois Wesleyan University he was a
7 four-year letterman and starter in basketball and baseball
8 and a three-year football letterman (all-conference
9 quarterback); he was a two-year captain, most valuable
10 player, and all-conference player while playing basketball;
11 he is currently 40th in school scoring history with 926
12 career points; and
13 WHEREAS, After graduation in 1961, Dennie Bridges coached
14 at Plainfield High School for three years; he returned to
15 Illinois Wesleyan University in 1964 as assistant basketball
16 and head tennis coach; in the 1965-1966 season he became head
17 basketball coach, leading the Titans to a sixth College
18 Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championship in
19 seven years; in 1981 he became the athletic director at
20 Illinois Wesleyan University; and
21 WHEREAS, As athletic director, Coach Bridges has added
22 women's varsity swimming, women's soccer, women's cross
23 country, and women's golf; he has seen the return of men's
24 varsity swimming, and added men's soccer as a varsity sport;
25 the construction of the Shirk Center and Fort Natatorium was
26 completed during his time as athletic director; he was active
27 in fundraising for the Jack Horenberger Baseball Field, which
28 opened in April of 1999 and yielded new facilities in
29 softball, the Neis Soccer Field, and renovations of the
30 football field and outdoor track; Coach Bridges will continue
31 his responsibilities as athletic director after his
32 retirement from coaching, and the staff and students at
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1 Illinois Wesleyan University can look forward to the
2 continued success of this position; and
3 WHEREAS, Coach Bridges has a career coaching record of
4 667-319; this season the team finished 24-7 and placed third
5 in the national Division III tournament; the 1997 team won
6 the Division III title, earning him Division III "Coach of
7 the Year" honors; and his 1996 team also won a third place
8 national finish; and
9 WHEREAS, Coach Bridges is one of only 22 college coaches
10 with more than 650 victories and retires as the winningest
11 active coach in NCAA Division III men's basketball and he is
12 second in Division III history; Coach Bridges has coached in
13 the CCIW longer and won more league championships than any
14 other coach in CCIW history; he has a league record of
15 421-129 with 17 titles; and
16 WHEREAS, Coach Bridges has coached teams into the
17 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national
18 tournament seven times and compiled a record of 23-11 in NAIA
19 postseason play, with two of his teams reaching the
20 quarterfinals; Coach Bridges has conducted basketball clinics
21 in Brazil, New Zealand, and Australia; he is a member of the
22 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame; he
23 received the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Buzzy
24 O'Connor award for meritorious service; and he has been the
25 State's Division III Coach of the Year many times; and
26 WHEREAS, Coach Bridges has been an excellent role model
27 for the young men he has worked with at Illinois Wesleyan
28 University; he has had a positive effect in the shaping of
29 their futures; and he has been a great sportsman; and
30 WHEREAS, Coach Dennie Bridges and his wife, Rita have
31 three children, Angie, Steve, and Eric; they are the proud
32 grandparents of Alyssa, Carly, Keegan, and Summer; therefore,
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1 be it
2 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
4 we congratulate Coach Dennie Bridges on his successful
5 coaching career at Illinois Wesleyan University and wish him
6 nothing but the best in his future endeavors; and be it
7 further
8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9 presented to Coach Dennie Bridges.