LC community remebers fallen legend

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Joe Bartlett

When Shellenberger first started at LC in 1952 the school did not even have a soccer team, but Shellenberger got a varsity soccer team approved by the college and in 1954 LC became the fourth team in Virginia to play collegiate soccer. Two years later in 1956 coach Shellenberger had a winning season, a winning season that was the first in a legendary streak of 31 consecutive winning seasons setting a record of 371 wins, 167 losses, and 48 ties according to the LC website. Coach Shellenberger is credited with being a major force in the growth of soccer at the collegiate level and he was once called "the winningest coach ever in college soccer" by Sports Illustrated.

Coach Shellenberger retired in 1989 and the next year LC named Shellenberger Field in the coach's honor. Shellenberger also earned many other honors as he was inducted into the LC Sports Hall of Fame as well as seven other halls of fame, named Coach of the Year 28 times, and recognized in 1991 by the Virginia General Assembly for his "Unparalleled Record of Achievement" according to the LC website. Shellenberger also had the William H. Shellenberger Scholarship Fund created by former students in his honor. The annual Shellenberger Golf Tournament raises additional funds in support of the scholarship, which seems fitting as Shellenberger was also LC's golf coach for 22 years.

Shellenberger was a lifelong athlete, an ex-marine, and a World War II veteran that knew exactly what he wanted to do in life.               

"My whole life has been involved with athletics," he said in a 2005 interview for the Lynchburg College Magazine according to the LC website. "There was never any question about what I wanted to do. I wanted to teach physical education and coach sports."               

Even with all of Shellenberger's success he never put winning above sportsmanship. Shellenberger said that sportsmanship was very important to him and he tried to instill it in his players, according to the LC website. Shellenberger was only ejected from a game once in his career after arguing with a referee during a game in the rain.               

Shellenberger's funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in Snidow Chapel. Shellenberger is survived by a son, William Jr. "Hank" '79, who played soccer for his dad while attending LC, daughter, Virginia "Ginger" Parsons '73 M.A.T, and a grandson, Will Parsons according to the LC website.