WILMINGTON – Jerry Scheve, who recently completed his 30th season leading the Wilmington College women’s basketball program, will be taking a leave of absence from the College for the 2020-21 academic year. He plans to return to leading the program for the 2021-22 season and beyond.
Janel Blankespoor, who has been the program’s top assistant coach for the previous two seasons, will serve as interim head coach.
Scheve, also an accounting professor at Wilmington, has been the Quakers’ coach since the 1990-91 season having taken over for Sharon Sims. He’s achieved a winning record 22 times including winning over 500 games, seven regular season conference championships, and eight conference tournament titles.
Perhaps his greatest achievement was guiding Wilmington to the 2004 NCAA Division III national championship – the College’s only team national title.
Wilmington has been a member of the AMC, HCAC an independent institution and the OAC in Scheve’s tenure. The Quakers claimed HCAC championships in 1998-99 and 1999-00, and since joining the OAC prior to the 2001 season, his players have earned All-OAC recognition 47 times.
In addition, Scheve has finished in the top half of the conference in all but four seasons and carries a winning percentage of 67 percent overall and 66 percent in OAC contests.
The Quakers are scheduled to begin the 2020-21 season with their annual tip-off tournament in November.
