Wittenberg Head Golf, Assistant Men's Basketball Coach J.J. Searls Resigns, Scott Isphording to Take his Place

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Wittenberg Head Golf, Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
J.J. Searls Resigns, Scott Isphording to Take his Place

Posted May 7, 2002
Posted by: Ryan Maurer

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Wittenberg University Director of Athletics and Recreation Garnett Purnell has announced that Assistant Men's Basketball/Head Golf Coach J.J. Searls has tendered his resignation. Searls, who recently became a father for the first time, has decided to devote more time to his family and will be leaving the coaching profession to enter the world of corporate business.

Searls guided the Tiger golf team to fourth place in the highly competitive North Coast Athletic Conference each of the last two years. On the basketball court, Searls was Head Coach Bill Brown's top assistant the last two years after working short stints at Manhattan College, Franklin (Ind.) College and the University of Charleston. A native of Lancaster, Ohio and a 1995 graduate of Ohio University, Searls helped guide the team to an outstanding 50-8 overall record, including a mark of 30-2 in the NCAC and back-to-back regular season championships and appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Scott Isphording, who has been assistant head coach/offensive coordinator and assistant baseball coach at Wittenberg for the last four years, will replace Searls as head of the golf program, in addition to his football duties. A native of Cincinnati, Isphording was a standout athlete and record-setting quarterback at Hanover College from 1990-94. This will be his first experience as a golf coach. As a football coach at Wittenberg, he has helped the Tigers to four straight NCAC championships, three undefeated regular seasons and four straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Filling Isphording's shoes as assistant baseball coach will be Mark Henninger, a 1996 Wittenberg graduate who has been on board at his alma mater as an assistant football coach since 2000. A former member of the Tiger football team, Henninger will be getting his first experience as a coach on the diamond at Wittenberg, in addition to his responsibilities with the Tiger football program. Primarily responsible for coaching defensive backs on the football team, Henninger has been a part of two NCAC titles and NCAA appearances in two seasons as a coach at Wittenberg.

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