By Thad Smith

MORGANTOWN — In the rafters of the West Virginia University Coliseum, among the banners representing seven NCAA tournament appearances, one message stood out Saturday evening at a tribute to former Mountaineer men’s basketball coach Gale Catlett.

On the scoreboard in large letters was the message, “Thanks, coach.”

Catlett was honored by family, friends, colleagues, former players and fans for his 24 years of work with the Mountaineers. At a reception before the tribute, Catlett spoke personally with hundreds of well-wishers, sharing stories, hugs and laughs. Many fans left the long line with personalized notes on their program and a story to tell.

The ceremony featured speakers Rod Thorn, Lester Rowe and Gary McPherson, who spoke of their experiences with Catlett as a player, a coach, and a colleague, respectively.

WVU President David Hardesty spoke last and delivered the highlight of the event. He told the audience of approximately 700 people that “the road circling the Coliseum will forever be known as Gale Catlett Drive.”

Catlett was presented with a street sign commemorating the honor. The former coach took a few minutes to gather his thoughts, thanked his wife Anise and said, “This is a great day.”

The Hedgesville native finished his career with a career record of 565-320. His final record at WVU was 439-276, the most wins in school history. He also took 20 teams to the postseason tournaments while coaching Cincinnati and WVU.

“WVU is where my heart is,” Catlett said. “This has been my life and always will be. It’s been a good life and I thank you.”

A video package featuring footage of Catlett coaching through the years was played midway through the ceremony. Fans chuckled at some of the dated wardrobe choices and hairstyles and clapped for clips of Mountaineer teams in the NCAA tournament. Many members of the crowd were moved to tears.

The speakers all touched on Catlett’s success on and off the court. He was remembered as a coach who helped build well-rounded young men as well as strong athletes.

“Coach, you have meant so much to so many players,” Rowe said. “Ninety-five percent of the conversations I’ve had with Coach weren’t even about basketball. They were about life.”

Catlett, who began coaching WVU in 1978, was the 41st Division I coach to amass 400 wins at one school. He also averaged 19 wins and suffered only three losing records in 30 seasons.

Mountaineer Sports Network broadcaster Tony Caridi, who served as the master of ceremonies, perhaps summed Catlett’s career up best.

“Consistency is the true barometer for success,” Caridi said. “And Gale Catlett’s record is a testament to that.”