The community gathers to honor the life and death of coach Jerry Scheve, a champion on and off the court.
Jerry Scheve’s 30-year tenure as head coach of the Lady Quakers Basketball team established him as one of the most successful coaches in NCAA Division III history.
His impressive record of 518 victories stands as a testament to his coaching prowess and unwavering dedication to the sport.
Scheve began his collegiate coaching journey in the 1990-91 season, coinciding with Wilmington College’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III.
Success came swiftly, as he guided the Lady Quakers to the Western Buckeye Conference championship in just his second season.
This early triumph launched a pattern of excellence that would define his career.
Scheve proudly led championship teams in four different conferences: the Western Buckeye Conference, Association of Mideast Colleges, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Ohio Athletic Conference.
He often cited this achievement as one of his proudest accomplishments.
The pinnacle of Scheve’s coaching career came during the 2003-04 season when he guided Wilmington College to the NCAA Division III national championship.
The team’s journey to the title defied expectations, especially after a regular season that showed less promise than previous campaigns.
The Lady Quakers entered the OAC Tournament as the third seed with a 14-4 conference record, but Scheve’s leadership transformed their performance when it mattered most.
Recalling his pivotal mid-season talk with the team, Scheve said,
“I told them, ‘The choice is yours. We can play for four more days or four more weeks.'”
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The Lady Quakers responded by storming through the OAC Tournament and the national tournament, defeating previously unbeaten and top-ranked Bowdoin College in a thrilling 54-51 championship game.
This remarkable achievement earned Scheve NCAA Division III Coach-of-the-Year honors.
Beyond the wins and championships, Scheve’s coaching philosophy focused on developing young athletes both on and off the court.
He motivated players to constantly strive for improvement and emphasized doing things “the right way.” Scheve explained about his success,
“You have to have a passion for what you’re doing. You have to recruit and keep good players who are good people. You have to have good assistant coaches. I think I always tried to do things the right way and treat people the right way — when you do that, you tend to get the best out of people.”
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His impact extended beyond basketball, as he served as an associate professor of accounting at Wilmington College for 44 years before retiring in 2021.
This dual commitment to athletic and academic excellence embodies the holistic approach to education that defines the best of collegiate athletics.
Jerry Scheve’s Death Is Deeply Felt In Ohio Basketball
Jerry Scheve, 75, of Cincinnati, passed away on May 19, 2025, after a prolonged illness.
His death leaves a profound void in the Wilmington College community, where he spent over four decades shaping minds in the classroom and building character on the basketball court.
President Corey Cockerill remembered Scheve as a person of integrity who lived his values. She said,
“When I think about Jerry, I think about integrity. He didn’t just believe in it or talk about it — he lived it. Though I never played for him, I saw Jerry as a coach, a mentor and a guiding presence. In the Quaker tradition, we might call him ‘weighty’ — someone whose words carried depth and meaning.”
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Scheve’s influence on his players extended beyond athletic achievement. His team’s mantra, displayed prominently in the women’s basketball locker room, read:
“Play with the poise and intensity of a national championship team.”
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President Cockerill noted that he referenced this not merely as an aspiration but as an expectation, reflecting his unwavering belief in his players’ potential for greatness.
Matt Croci, Wilmington College’s director of athletics, described Scheve as
“a legend among the state’s collegiate basketball coaches.”
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Croci acknowledged the responsibility now facing the college:
“His passing reminds us of his paramount role in the College’s athletics heritage and leaves us with the task of appropriately honoring this great coach’s memory and legacy — which we will do.”
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The Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame recognized Scheve’s contributions to the sport by inducting him as part of its 2014 class, alongside the 2004 national championship team he coached.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Jerry Scheve on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 10:30 AM at Saint Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Kenwood, Ohio.
Visitation will precede the service from 9:30-10:30 AM at the same location.
Additionally, Wilmington College plans to hold a celebration of life service to honor Coach Scheve’s memory and contributions to the institution.
Though Scheve took pride in his championships and accolades, he often emphasized that his greatest fulfillment came from the relationships he built and the growth he witnessed in his players. He once reflected,
“Getting to coach young people, watch them grow and see them succeed in life is what it’s always been about.”
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This sentiment captures the essence of Jerry Scheve’s legacy — a coach who measured success not just in victories and championships, but in the lives he positively influenced throughout his remarkable career.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- The 2017 team, coached by Scheve, played in the OAC title game, showing his continued success even in later years of his coaching career.
- Scheve coached high school and AAU basketball before coming to Wilmington College, which he described as “a dream come true.”
- During Wilmington’s championship run in 2003-04, they were behind at halftime in five of their six tournament games but won them all, demonstrating the team’s resilience under pressure.
