Webb Hatch begins his 11th season as the head men’s basketball coach at Frostburg State University as well as his 36th year of coaching.
In his first 10 years at the helm, Hatch has guided the Bobcats to 129 overall wins including 77 in the AMCC. The third winningest coach in the program’s 67-year history, Hatch has also led FSU to one Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament championship, a pair of AMCC Tournament second-place finishes and one Eastern College Athletic Conference South Region Runner-Up showing.
In 2008-09, coach Hatch guided Frostburg State to a 17-10 overall record, the second most wins since taking over the program in 1999. The Bobcats finished conference action 13-5, including a second-place finish in the regular season and a trip to the AMCC Tournament semifinals.
Defensively, FSU ranked near the top of the AMCC. The Bobcats led the league in both offensive (14.04) and defensive (24.81) rebounds, blocked shots (3.04) and steals (9.96) and were second in field goal percentage defense (41.7), three-point FG percentage defense (30.3) and turnover margin (+2.56). FSU posted a pair of five-game winning streaks during the season and capped the year by winning the 2008-09 Schoenfeld Sportsmanship Award for the AMCC.
The Bobcats struggled during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons posting 10-16 and 9-16 overall records, respectively, but FSU finished near the top of the league in rebounding and steals both years. In 2007-08, the Bobcats were 8-2 at Bobcat Arena including a perfect 5-0 in its last five home games. FSU also had a second team all-conference selection from each year as Antoine McCall and Jade Belt each garned the postseason honors.
FSU finished with a 12-15 overall record and an 8-10 AMCC mark in the 2005-06. The Bobcats had a promising start, opening the year 3-1 and taking fifth place in the Pride of Maryland Tournament. FSU fell to McDaniel in the opening round but captured wins over Salisbury (70-62) and Hood (65-63). However, Frostburg State would struggle through the regular season and earn a No. 6 seed in the AMCC Tournament. In the opening round, the Bobcats defeated the No. 3 seeded Penn State Behrend Lions 59-54. In the second round, FSU fell to No. 2 seeded Pitt-Greensburg, 69-54.
The 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons saw the Bobcats hover right around 15 wins in each season. In 04-05, FSU was 14-12 overall and an even 9-9 in the AMCC, despite losing five games by single digits. The Bobcats started the year strong with a 3-1 record and the momentum carried through the season as FSU earned the No. 6 seed in the AMCC Tournament. In 2003-04, the Bobcats won their last two regular-season AMCC games, finished 15-13 overall and secured the No. 3 seed and a first-round home game in the AMCC Tournament. In semifinals, the Bobcats downed No. 2 Pitt-Greensburg 57-51 before dropping the title game, 44-42 to La Roche in overtime, for the second time in three seasons.
In 2002-03, the Bobcats endured a tough 1-6 start before rebounding with five wins in their next seven games. Season-ending injuries to two key players and the loss of a third player to military service took their toll as the Bobcats dropped six straight contests. However, FSU hung tough to win four of its final six regular-season games before losing in overtime in the first round of the AMCC Tournament to finish 10-16 overall and 5-7 in the AMCC. The Bobcats suffered nine losses by 10 points or less.
FSU combined for 36 wins over the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, the second-highest two-year total in the program’s history (trailing only the 37 wins from 1970-1972).
In 2001-02, Hatch and the Bobcats posted a 16-12 overall record and a 9-3 mark in the AMCC. The team advanced to the AMCC championship game for the second straight year before falling in an exciting overtime contest.
In 2000-01, the Bobcats finished 20-10 overall and captured their first-ever AMCC Tournament championship and earned a berth to the ECAC Southern Region Championship Tournament for the eighth time in school history. FSU made a thrilling run to the title game, downing Bethany (W.Va.), 99-83, and edging Alvernia, 77-71, before falling to King’s, 70-60, in the championship contest. The Bobcats ranked 30th in the nation in scoring (82.0 ppg) and 34th in rebounding margin (+5.5 rpg). The 20 wins were the second-highest in program history (trailing only the 1970-71 squad that finished 24-4), and the AMCC title was the first conference tournament championship in team history.
Hatch joined the Frostburg State staff in late August 1999 and needed just one year to turn around the Bobcats. After a 6-19 overall record and a 2-10 mark in the AMCC in his first season, Hatch’s second squad went 20-10 (8-4 AMCC), the biggest improvement from the previous season by any NCAA Division III program in the country.
Hatch came to Frostburg after having served as an assistant at Virginia Military Institute, his alma mater, for the 1998-99 season. Prior to his stint at VMI, Hatch was the first-ever head men’s basketball coach at Division III Marymount University in Arlington, Va., for 10 seasons, where he also served as the school’s assistant athletic director and sports information director.
Hatch led Marymount to a 13-9 record in his debut season. In 1990-91, he earned Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Saints to the CAC regular-season championship and a 16-11 overall record. He also led Marymount to an 18-10 record and the CAC Tournament championship in 1991-92. His Marymount teams also advanced to the CAC tournament championship game in the 1990-91 and 1995-96 seasons.
Prior to Marymount, Hatch served as an assistant coach at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Va., from 1977 to 1987, where he helped coach the Marlins to two Dixie Conference championships and three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.
Additionally, Hatch served as head coach at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in Suffolk, Va., from 1975 to 1977. He coached the boys’ team to a 23-3 record and the VAAC championship in the 1976-77 season, and he was also an assistant football coach and social studies teacher at the school.
Hatch began his coaching career as an assistant at Prince George (Va.) High School in 1969-70 prior to a two-year tour of duty in the United States Army. He has also organized, promoted and directed summer basketball camps for the past 25 years.
Hatch received his bachelor’s degree in history from VMI in 1969 and later earned a master’s degree in education from Old Dominion University in 1985.
