Bill Horine

Bill Horine was a 1929 Reading High School graduate. Bill learned his basketball skills under coach Johnny Dietrich while playing for the Red Knights. His high school team was consider on the the best. He moved on to Muhlenberg College, where he was captain of the basketball team during his senior year. After his graduation, Horine became a teacher in the Reading School District (1938). He also served one year as an interim coach at Albright College and coached sandlot football and semi-pro basketball for ten years. Bill’s coaching record at Reading High School speaks for itself. He coached the JV basketball team for five seasons and the Varsity team for three seasons. During that time, Horine produced an amazing five championship teams – two with the Varsity and three with the JV teams. Bill succeeded Charley Dunkelberger as the basketball coach and compiled an overall record of 60-13. His first two varsity teams were his best. In his first season, Horine’s team posted an overall record of 20-5 and won the Central Penn championship. That year, the Red Knights posted a 14-1 CPC record and added the District III PIAA title before bowing to Radnor in the state playoffs (1955-56). Bill’s next team produced four “firsts”. It is considered the best starting-five ever assembled at Reading High School; became the first team ever to go through two halves of a season undefeated since the advent of the split season in the CPC; recorded 21 consecutive conference victories, and produced Reading High’s first All-State player, Willie Pegram. Bill resigned from coaching in 1958 and continued on the faculty at Reading High School as a teacher of mathematics. He later served as a vice-principal at Reading High.

Deceased