Dick and Lynda Filbert Announce Retirements After 2010 Season
TOWSON, Md. -- Dick Filbert, the Head Gymnastics Coach at Towson University since 1983, and his wife Lynda Filbert, the Tigers' Assistant Coach for the last 20 years, have announced their retirements from Towson University, effective June 30, 2010.
"It's easy to look at the success of the program over the past 28 years to determine that Dick Filbert has had a positive impact on the Towson athletics program," said Towson's Director of Athletics Mike Hermann. "However, the team's success is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Dick's influence at Towson. He has created a family atmosphere around the gymnastics program that focuses on the success of the student-athletes, both athletically and in life. He has a loyal alumni base comprised of former gymnasts that had a great experience at Towson, in large part because of his quality coaching and caring attitude.
"Lynda has been at Dick's side for much of his run at Towson and seems to provide the perfect complement," Hermann added. "Her expertise has led to great success for the team, as she has served as both a choreographer for the floor routines, as well as the assistant coach. The two of them have made an outstanding coaching team for Towson.
"It's just like the Filberts to give us ample notice so we can conduct a national search for their successor. They clearly have the best interest of the program at heart. The Filberts have been a big part of the Towson athletics program for many years. We are looking forward to this final season and wish them well in retirement."
A 1971 graduate of Towson, Dick Filbert was named as Head Coach at his alma mater in 1982 and inherited a program that had reached a low point. Towson did not have enough healthy gymnasts to field a team.
The new Tiger coach suggested a very bold move and Towson suspended its program for the 1983 season. Dick Filbert spent the 1983 season recruiting and working with the gymnasts that remained.
In 1984, the Tigers resumed competing as an intercollegiate program at the NCAA Division II level. The Tigers posted an 11-9 record in 1984 and followed that with a 12-2 mark in 1985. In its final season as a Division II program, the 1986 Tigers compiled a very impressive 22-2-1 record and qualified for the NCAA Division II national championship meet at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
In 1987, Towson made its debut as an NCAA Division I program and made quite an impact. The Tigers had a 26-4 record and won their first Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship. The Tigers also qualified for the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet at the University of Florida and finished seventh.
In 1988, the Tigers set a school record with 31 victories on their way to a 31-2 record. They won their second straight ECAC championship and made a second straight trip to the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet at Florida. In their second regional appearance, the Tigers finished a surprising third and Dick Filbert was honored as the NCAA Southeast Regional Coach of the Year.
In 1989, the Tiger head coach hired an assistant coach and it was a move that made a positive impact on the Tiger program and the head coach's personal life.
A former Tiger gymnast, Lynda MacDonald Lamonica, joined the program as the Tigers' assistant coach. Her addition enabled the Tiger gymnastics program to ascend to new heights as Towson became a consistent Top 25 program.
In her first season as a Tiger assistant, she helped Towson compile a 20-2 record and win its third straight ECAC championship while making a third straight NCAA regional appearance.
In 1990, the Tigers had the finest season in school history. Towson had a 23-1 record in the regular season and won its fourth straight ECAC title. At the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet, the Tigers finished fourth and earned a berth at the NCAA National Championship Meet.
Dick Filbert recalls, "We were a 100-to-1 shot and we came through."
At the National Championship Meet at Oregon State, the Tigers stunned everyone by finishing ninth in the nation, beating out established programs like Florida, Arizona and Ohio State. As a result, the Tigers' head coach was named as the co-winner of the National Coach of the Year award, sharing the honor with Greg Marsden of national champion Utah.
From 1987 to 1995, Towson won eight out of nine ECAC championships and made nine consecutive appearances at the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet. In 1995, Towson hosted the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet and attracted a record crowd of 2,577 to the Towson Center.
In 1996, Towson was an important part of the newly-formed East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL). The Tigers finished as EAGL runners-up in 1996 and won their first-ever USA Gymnastics NIT championship.
After the 1996 season, Dick and Lynda became partners in life as well as gymnastics when they were married.
In 1997, Erin Shanley became Towson's first All-American at the Division I level when she earned second team honors on uneven bars.
The 1999 Tigers won their second USA Gymnastics NIT championship and competed at the NCAA Regional Meet. In 2000, Gabi Weller became Towson's second All-American when she earned first team honors on vault. At the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet at Georgia, the Tigers finished third, barely missing out on a trip to Nationals.
In 2005, the Tigers returned to ECAC competition and returned to their position of prominence. The Tigers have won five straight ECAC championships since their return. In 14 seasons of ECAC competition, Towson has now won 13 championships.
Towson won its third USA Gymnastics NIT championship in 2007 while posting a 25-5 record.
In 27 seasons as the Tigers' head coach, Dick Filbert has led Towson to a record of 471-145-2. During that time, Towson has never had a losing season. In fact, there has been only one season (2002) in which the Tigers had a .500 record.
Dick Filbert has been honored as the co-winner of the National Coach of the Year award once and he has been named as the NCAA Southeast Regional Coach of the Year twice while earning the ECAC Coach of the Year award three times. He was named as the EAGL Coach of the Year once and has been honored as Towson University's Coach of the Year nine times. No other Towson coach has won the award more than six times.
Lynda Filbert has also been recognized for her accomplishments. She was named as the NCAA Southeast Regional Assistant Coach of the Year three times. She earned the award in 1995, 1998 and 2005.
"Lynda has been more than just an assistant coach," says Dick Filbert. "Even though I've had the title of head coach, we have been like two pilots guiding the program. We've been sharing this program for the last 15 years and any success we've had is the result of a collaborative effort.
"For the first few years that she was the assistant coach, I was making all the decisions," he admits with a laugh. "But we've been making all the decisions together since 1995 or so. It's a unique arrangement but it has worked for us and it has worked for the Tiger gymnastics program.
"This is the right time for us to retire," says Dick Filbert. "We've been doing this for a long time and it's been a tremendous run. By announcing this now, we want to give the University plenty of time to find successors. We plan on leaving the program in good shape and we will do everything we can to ensure a smooth transition."
During their 20 seasons together, the Filberts have led Towson to 11 ECAC championships, 11 NCAA Regional appearances, and three USA Gymnastics NIT titles.
Tiger gymnasts have also excelled academically through the years. The program has been recognized at regional and national levels for its record of success. Since Dick Filbert became the Tigers' head coach, 95% of the gymnasts that competed for more than two seasons have graduated.
Eight of the gymnasts coached by the Filberts have been inducted into the Towson University Athletic Hall of Fame, including Lori Salindong Greis, '90, Anne Sugden Wolff, '91, Tandy Knight, '91, Wendy Weaver Kwiatkowski, '92, Janine Spezio Eikenberg, '93, Gabby Linarducci Frezza, '94, Wendy Chalmers, '95 and Carrie Leger, '96. It's almost a certainty that more will be inducted as they become eligible in the coming years.
Seeking their sixth consecutive ECAC championship, the Filberts will begin their final season as the Tiger gymnastics coaches on Friday, January 15, 2010 at the University of Alaska in Anchorage.
Towson returns nine letter winners from a team that posted a 17-6 record last year and edged Cornell for the ECAC title.