Athletic Director and a national championship basketball coach
During the Fall of 1967, Gib Chapman one of New England’s leading small college coaches who had completed a 19-4 record with the Ricker College basketball squad that previous season, had arrived on the Acadia campus to become head coach of the men’s basketball squad.
During his initial year with the Axemen, the squad failed to win the conference title, posting a sixty-seven percent won-lost record. In his second year with the Axemen -and holding the position as the University’s Director of Athletics Gib, assisted by Dr. Jim Logue guided the team to impressive results. Winner of major tournaments that season, and blessed with such talent as Brian Heaney, Rick Eaton, Steve Pound, Terry Condon, Nar Zanolin and others, the team posted a 94-64 win over SMU in championship play. At the national tournament in Windsor, Ontario the Axemen bowed in the semi-finals to the host squad, the University of Windsor, 79-76.
The following season of ’69-’70 saw the Axemen narrowly miss in their bid for national championship play. The best was yet to come, however, as the Chapman-Logue directed Axemen won it all during the Spring of ’71. Winners of all but two of their thirty-two games that season, the Axemen delighted a hometown Wolfville audience by defeating Loyola University, the University of Windsor and the University Manitoba to win the national title. Individually, All- Canadian and Tournament M.V.P .Rick Eaton, and Gary Folker and Peter Phipps, both selected as all-stars, were among the many fine contributors.
The subsequent season again saw the Chapman-directed Axemen qualify for the nationals. En route to a 22-6 record that season, the boys defeated McGill, 84-67, but bowed to U.B.C., 87-80. Then, following an impressive season in ’72-’73, Gib was named Dean of the School of Recreation and Physical Education during the Fall of’74 -a position that he held for several academic years.
In conjunction with his tasks as Dean of a developing program, he assumed the coaching duties of the women’s basketball squad, helping to inspire that team to creditable performances.
During his stay at Acadia, Gib Chapman enjoyed tremendous success as teacher, coach and organizer. In his subsequent teaching and coaching roles at the University of Guelph, the University of Toronto and the University of New Hampshire he has indeed enhanced this reputation.
It is thus a distinct pleasure to induct Gilbert “Gib” Chapman as a builder to Acadia’s Sports Hall of Fame.
