General 12/11/2025 12:00:00 AM

Hall of Fame Inductee: Dick Wiseman

On Oct. 11, Penn State Abington (formerly Penn State Ogontz) announced the inaugural class of its new Athletics Hall of Fame in conjunction with the 75^th anniversary of the university honoring 10 legendary inductees. The announcement was made at halftime of the men's soccer game at Memorial Field with Abington Chancellor Dr. Gary Liguori and Director of Athletics, Intramurals & Recreation Erin Foley. Click here for official announcement.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Philmont Country Club. Registration and cocktail hour begins at 2 p.m. with the ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. The event is open to the public. Ticket sales will end on Jan. 1, 2026. To purchase tickets, click here.

We'll be featuring each inductee leading up to the induction ceremony in January. Today, we highlight the coaching career of Dick Wiseman, the winningest coach in men's basketball history.

Our next Hall of Fame feature highlights the winningest men's basketball coach in school history, Dick Wiseman, who guided the Nittany Lions from 1978-1986. Wiseman also coached the softball program from 1980-1986 and again from 1996-1999.

"This is truly a great honor to be inducted in the inaugural Penn State Abington/Ogontz Athletic Hall of Fame," said Wiseman. "I believe this honor also recognizes an Athletic Director who shared the same vision, an assistant coach who was with me every step of the way, and all the athletes who placed their trust in me and believed in what we were doing. I will be forever grateful to each and every one of them, plus to my wife and son."

Wiseman coached the Nittany Lions to 152 victories on the hardwood in eight seasons, including a program record 27 wins in 1984-85. That year Ogontz finished 27-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play and as a result Wiseman was named the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

This past January, the 1984-85 team returned to campus and the Athletic Building for the 40^th anniversary of the team's historic championship season with a halftime celebration at the men's basketball game against Cairn University.

The Nittany Lions went on to win the CCAC Championship for the third time under Wiseman. His team's previously won the CCAC titles in 1979-80 and 1981-82. In addition, Ogontz won the CCAC Eastern Division title six times during his tenure.

From the court to the diamond, Wiseman also coached the Ogontz/Abington softball team in two separate stints. In combined 10 seasons he won 140 games with a .611 winning percentage. Wiseman ranks second all-time for most victories, including a 23-2 season that saw the Nittany Lions win the 1985 EPCC Championship. The team won six different championships in three different leagues under Wiseman. He was named the PIAA Coach of the Year in 1998.

Through all the wins and accolades two moment's stand out the most during his Abington/Ogontz coaching career.

"Watching a softball program grow from 0-14 and a team which referred to themselves as the 'Bad News Bears' to winning a state championship (23-2) six years later," said Wiseman. "Also, watching the 1981-82 men's basketball team (26-3) being the first CCAC team to go undefeated in conference play (15-0) and win the conference championship."

Outside of coaching, Wiseman taught various activity and sports classes in the physical education department for 30 years and advised in the FTCAP program for several years. In his own words, Wiseman had the privilege to have 'worked with some wonderful people and made life-long friends.'

Tickets for the inaugural Penn State Abington/Ogontz Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony are currently on sale. The Hall of Fame event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Philmont Country Club. The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of 10 individuals who laid the foundation of Penn State Abington/Ogontz athletics. Registration and cocktail hour begins at 2 p.m. with the ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. The event is open to the public. Ticket sales will end on Jan. 1, 2026. To purchase tickets, click here.

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