The second longest active Ivy League coach in men's basketball will soon be leaving the program he developed over the last decade.
Dartmouth coach Dave Faucher, who has been with the Big Green for 13 seasons, resigned yesterday as men's basketball coach, effective at the end of the season.
"Dave's passion for the game, his dedication and loyalty to Dartmouth, and the sensitive and caring way he deals with his players will be missed," Dartmouth Athletic Director Josie Harper said in a statement.
After stints at the University of New Hampshire and Division II Merrimack College, Faucher began his career at Dartmouth as an assistant coach in 1984. He took over the program seven years later.
In his 13 years, Faucher has accumulated 136 wins, more than any other Dartmouth head man in 34 years. He will leave Hanover third in school history in wins.
Faucher's first successful season was 1994-95, when the Big Green won eight of its last 10 games to finish tied for second place in the Ancient Eight with a 10-4 Ivy record.
The following season, Dartmouth snapped Penn's 48-game Ivy win streak with a 54-53 victory in Hanover on Feb. 9, en route to a third-place Ivy finish.
But the best season for Dartmouth under Faucher came in 1996-97. The Big Green posted an 18-8 overall record, the most wins since the 1987-88 season, and the second -most since 1958-59. A 10-4 conference record solidified its runner-up spot in the Ancient Eight.
While Faucher led the Big Green to several finishes in the top half of the Ancient Eight in the mid-'90s, he has fallen upon hard times as of late with disappointing seasons the last five years.
This year, Dartmouth's injury-depleted squad has struggled to a 3-19 record, with one of the losses coming at the hands of the Quakers, 67-49, on Feb. 7.
With freshman guard Leon Pattman providing the only consistent scoring output for the young team, the Big Green currently reside in the cellar of the Ivy League with a 1-7 conference record.
Despite Dartmouth's recentdecline, Penn coach Fran Dunphy expressed strong praise for Faucher and recalled when the two men were the only current Ivy coaches working as assistants.
"Dave is a great basketball coach, and I will be sad to see him leave," Dunphy said. "We were working as assistants at the same time. ... I will look to see where he will go next."
Dartmouth has currently not named a replacement for Faucher.
