Ron Niekamp and winning have been synonymous during a 32-year basketball coaching career. Coached University of Findlay men’s basketball team to 2009 NCAA Division II national championship. Findlay became first D-II team to go 36-0 and capture a national title. Tabbed NABC, D-II Bulletin and BasketballTimes 2009 national coach of the year. Posted .764 overall winning percentage (598-185) in 26 seasons at Findlay. Averaged 23 wins per season. Fashioned an .885 percentage (353-46) at Croy Physical Education Center. Registered 77 consecutive home court victories before falling 60-56 to Northern Kentucky on March 11, 2007. Inducted into Hancock Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. Logged 102 straight regular-season home court victories (began after 70-68 loss to Gannonon Feb. 12, 2004). Reeled off 66 consecutive GLIAC home court victories. Had a 201-59 record (.773 percentage) in GLIAC games, 116-38 vs. South Division teams. Went 121-15, .889 percentage in home GLIAC games. Guided UF to 20, 20-victory seasons during his tutelage. Teams recorded 10 straight 20-win seasons (‘01-02 thru ‘10-11). U of F was winningest NCAA Division II school since 2000 with a 286-57 won-loss record, .834 percentage. Captured 10 GLIAC South Division championships. Claimed 5 GLIAC Tournament championships. Posted 21-6 GLIAC Tournament record. Won Mid-Ohio Conference titles in 1995 & 1997 as NAIA member. Went 12-7 in NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional play. Won NCAA Div. II Great Lakes Regional titles in ‘04-05 & 08-09. Took UF to 6 straight NAIA Division I Great Lakes Region appearances. Twice won NAIA Great Lakes Region Division I titles. Advanced to 6 NAIA Division I national tourneys; three Sweet 16s. Recorded 33-24 all-time post-season record. Five-time GLIAC Coach of the Year. Three-time NCAA Division II Midwest Coach of the Year. Helped UF develop a certificate program in coaching, assisted in launching a new business major in sports and event management and was a full-time faculty member in the department of Health and Human Performance after retiring as basketball coach. 39-year coaching career included 1,077 games with an 806-271 won-loss record. Named the Columbus Dispatch Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year in ‘05 & ’09. Inducted into Miami (Ohio) University’s prestigious “The Cradle of Coaches” in ’04, inducted alongside legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler who was one of Niekamp’s professors at Miami. 1972 graduate of Miami. Coached All-Americans Randy Kortokrax (‘86 & 87), Aaron Roth (‘89), Chip Smith (‘92), Tim Hamen (‘96), Marc Bishop (‘97 & 99), Chuck Daniels (‘97), Ryan Maag (‘00), Kyle Hunt (‘00), Dustin Pfeifer (‘06), Frank Phillips (‘07), Josh Bostic (‘08 & 09), Nathan Hyde (‘11). Pfeifer also voted the 2006 GLIAC Player of the Year. Bostic captured National Player of the Year and GLIAC Player of the Year awards in 2009.Coached 20, 1,000-point scorers. Posted 208-86 record at Parkway, Ottawa-Glandorf and Lima Senior. Named Ohio High School Class AA Coach of theYear after coaching Ottawa-Glandorf to the OHSAA Final Four twice (77 & 78); also had Lima Senior in 1982 Final Four. St. Henry native.