IUP Athletic Hall of Fame
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Gary Kotsch was a key figure in the successful IUP teams of the mid- 1970s, reaching the 1,000-point plateau while helping the Indians win 58 games in a three-year span.
Kotsch finished his career with a total of 1,017 points, ranking ninth in school history at the time of his graduation. He was named to the AII-PSAC West team in 1976 and 1977 and led the team in scoring as a senior when he averaged 16.8 points per game.
Among his scoring achievements was a 37-point outburst against Robert Morris early in the 1975- 76 season. He is also one of the few IUP players to make at least 11 free throws in a game without a miss, accomplishing the feat against Edinboro in February 1976.
Kotsch currently ranks 24th in the IUP career scoring record book, being passed as the number of games played per season increased significantly since his career ended. He is also 19th in field goals made with 425 and free throw percentage with an accuracy rate of 74.2 percent.
The Indians enjoyed some outstanding seasons during Kotsch's time at the university. IUP finished 2 1-8 in 1973-74 and won both the PSAC and NAIA district titles. Two years later the Indians won 20 games against only five losses and had an overall record of 58-19 between 1973-74 and 1975-76.
Kotsch received his bachelor's degree from IUP in 1977 and is currently the owner of Gary Associates, a manufacturer's rep company. He coached Lillie League baseball for 10 years and was a recreation league and AAU basketball coach for 15 years.
Kotsch and his wife, Betsy, are the parents of sons Michael and Matthew and daughter Molly. He resides in West Chester, Pa.
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