Whitehall High School's basketball court gets named after former educator and basketball coach, Richard Tracy.

The school board approved the naming of the basketball court at its meeting, Monday, Nov. 10. The court will now be known as "Coach Tracy Court."

Superintendent John Corby spoke about Tracy at the school board meeting, giving a history of the man.

According to Corby, Tracy is a former educator and basketball coach for the Whitehall-Coplay School District. He was born in West Catasauqua and was a star athlete at Whitehall High School.

After graduating, Tracy attended Syracuse University on a football scholarship, but after his freshman year he left the university and joined the Marine Corps, serving until August 1956.

After serving in the military, Tracy attended Kutztown University. He taught English and coached four sports at Harrison-Morton Middle School, then spent ten years as an English teacher at Dieruff High School, also coaching basketball, football and baseball.

He returned to the Whitehall-Coplay School District in 1971 and was a long time Lehigh Valley television commentator on RCN-TV 4.

In March of 1982, Tracy led Whitehall's basketball team to the PIAA high school basketball championship game, when the Zephyrs defeated New Castle by a score of 42-38.

"Coach Tracy is not only remembered as a great educator, but is singly the most legendary Whitehall-Coplay School District Coach," said Corby. "Due to the extraordinary contributions of Coach Tracy, the board believes that Coach Tracy should be perpetually remembered on the basketball court located in the Whitehall High School Gymnasium."

The dedication of the court is scheduled to take place Dec. 23.