2015 LC Spring Magazine

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WA R R I O R N EWS
Seth Burch ’89 has been a fan of
the Warriors as far back as he can
remember. It didn’t hurt, of course, that
his father, Clarence “Dutch” Burch,
would become the most celebrated
basketball coach in Lycoming College
history, coaching the men’s team for 32
years, from 1962-94. Burch’s fandom hit
new heights when he became a member
of the team in 1985 and served as a
point guard under his father for four
years.
So, 20 years after his father last
patrolled the sidelines, what is Burch
doing on the court in Lamade
Gymnasium for nearly every home
game? Tune into a Lycoming
College men’s basketball game on
(104.1 FM/1050
AM) and his voice rings through clearly.
His impact, and truly, his father’s,
go much deeper than that through the
Lycoming basketball program.
Ask seventh-year head coach Guy
Rancourt about the most important things he did when he first
took the job in 2010, and he’ll be quick to tell you that striking
up a friendship with Burch is at the top of his list.
“Seth is a big part of it,” Rancourt said. “Literally the first
day, during my press conference, he was there and I got to
speak with him. He has always extended himself, letting us
know that if we ever need anything, he is there for us.”
That support is almost always in constant
display. Most visibly, Burch’s Nationwide Smith
Burch Agency began to
sponsor the annual Tip-
Off Tournament in 2013,
renaming the tournament
in honor of his father, who
passed away in 2012. Less
visibly, Burch, along with
his wife, Debi, have held
several team dinners and he
has even picked up recruits
and showed them around
Williamsport. His love for the basketball program, after all, is
about as ingrained as it can be. His father, Dutch, had one of
the best seasons of his career, a 16-4 campaign, in 1966, the year
that Burch was born.
“My whole life, I have been a part of this program,” Burch
said. “Guy knows that if he needs something, he can call and I
appreciate that 100 percent.”
For Rancourt, who has led the Warriors to one NCAA
Tournament berth and three conference championship games
during his first six years at Lycoming, that support has been
incredibly important.
“I am humbled by how much Seth thinks of me,” Rancourt
said. “His father accomplished so much and his name is right
up there at the top of the program.”
Throughout his tenure at the college, which is now the
third-longest in the program’s history, Rancourt has produced
teams that love to score and play defense with intensity. This
year’s team, infused with six freshmen in the playing rotation,
was once again a high-energy group, just the way he likes it. So,
when the team handed him his 100th win at the college with a
79-70 win over Messiah College on Dec. 3, joining Dutch Burch
as the only other coach in program history to reach that num-
ber, maybe it wasn’t that much of a surprise, even if Rancourt
wasn’t sure how quickly this team, which went on to finish first
in the Commonwealth Conference, would mold together.
“I can’t think about the bigger picture,” Rancourt said. “It
is so much fun to coach this team this year. With so much
inexperience, it can be frustrating at times, but putting into
perspective how good we can be by the end of this year and in
the future, it has to make you smile.”
In fact, when asked about whether he is looking forward to
his next 100 wins, Rancourt said he is just trying to get the next
one. Burch said that reminds him of his father.
“He does resemble my dad,” Burch said. “Some of the things
he says like that are just like my dad. He doesn’t care about
how many wins he has – he wants to make the playoffs, win the
conference title and he wants his kids to graduate.”
Burch, on the other hand, can take a bit of a broader view of
the accomplishments of Rancourt through his first seven years
at the school and make some bolder statements.
“I told Guy that I think he is going to be here longer than
my dad,” Burch said. “The guys that he has recruited are
just phenomenal. I hope he is here for 30 years. That
would be awesome.” •
Connecting
basketball’s
past and present
Seth Burch ’89
continues father’s
legacy
By Joe Guistina
My whole life,
I have been
a part of this
program.
“