Bishop Miege coach calling it quits after 41 years

ROELAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) - After 41 years of roaming the sidelines, Coach Rick Zych is retiring after racking up over 700 wins during his illustrious career.

The coaching veteran has called Bishop Miege home for most of his career.

“It’s just awesome,” he said. “There are not a lot of coaches out there that can say that they have accomplished what we have accomplished here at Bishop Miege and the other schools I’ve been at.”

Zych is regarded as one of the best, wrapping up his career with an astonishing 84 percent winning percentage, seven state titles, and eight Final Four appearances.

“In 2010 we had the undefeated season,” Zych recalled. “25-0! Not very many teams could do that. We went on through the 5A level and went out of town and played some quality teams all over the Midwest. I’ll remember that team for sure.”

The Hall of Famer has coached players currently on NBA rosters, dozens who have played Division-I college basketball, and one who’s won an NCAA national championship.

“We’ve been very fortunate and had great talent,” Zych added. “We won with a lot of really good players. More importantly, all those role players who played an important role for those winning teams and the successful teams we’ve had at Bishop Miege.”

The long-time coach credits a strong support system for his success, led by his family and school administration.

It is just one of the reasons he knows the timing for his decision is right.

“It’s a good time right now probably to spend more time with my family, and grandkids,” said Zych. “You know, it’s just time.”

Coach Rick Zych spent 29 of his 41 years of coaching at Bishop Miege. He will officially retire at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

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