KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Recognizing the long-term, home-grown success of Dick Meader at the University of Maine at Farmington and the championship building of Kevin Vande Streek at Calvin University, the NABC Division III coaches will honor both with Division III Outstanding Service Awards from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The awards will be presented at the Division III coaches’ meeting on Friday, April 3, during the annual NABC Convention and NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four in Atlanta recognizing those who have contributed significantly “inside and outside the lines” of coaching as distinguished members of their communities.
Meader, a consummate Mainer, grew up in the Pine Tree State and was one of 16 students in his high school class and went on to play basketball and baseball at Farmington State College, now the University of Maine at Farmington. After earning an undergraduate degree in secondary education, he moved on to the University of Maine, earning a master’s degree.
As a teacher and coach, Meader has spent his career as a teacher and coach in his home state. He for 17 seasons as the head basketball coach at Thomas College in Waterville before returning to his alma mater. In addition to 28 seasons as head basketball coach, he also was the head baseball coach from 1993-2010.
On January 10, 2020, he guided the Beavers to an 83-51 victory over Northern Vermont University, Lyndon for the 500th win in his 44-year coaching tenure.
“I really didn’t think much about the 500th win. We have a good group this year with five seniors and our team has played very well,” said Meader. “I think of myself as a teacher and always carried larger rosters than most to provide opportunities. As a state institution, we recruit almost exclusively from Maine and have been fortunate to have players who worked very hard.”
Meader, recognized five times as coach of the year by the Maine Men’s Basketball Coaches and Writers Association, has many great memories of his career. Most notable was the 2009-10 season as the Beavers won their conference title, upset Bridgewater State and came close to upsetting eventual NCAA runner-up Williams College. Farmington was the fourth team from Maine to win a game in the NCAA championship tournament.
Outside of his college coaching career, Meader was the co-owner of the highly successful Pine Tree Basketball Camp with Dick Whitmore, the retired Colby College coach who won this award in 2012. The camp opened in 1973 and closed in 2011, having served some 50,000 campers.
“The camp was a place for Maine kids to learn and play the game of basketball,” said Meader.
The longest tenured and winningest coach in the history of Calvin University men’s basketball, Vande Streek had an outstanding 23-year run. His teams had a record of 435-208 (.677) including nine regular season titles and tournament championships in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with 10 appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament.
The crown jewel for Vande Streek was a NCAA Division III championship in 2000 as Calvin topped UW-Eau Claire, 79-75, in Salem, Va. The Knights finished with a 30-2 won-lost record and Vande Streek earned coach of the year honors in Division III from the NABC.
Calvin also reached the Division III semifinals in 2005, finishing with a 27-7 record.
Vande Streek began his coaching career at the University of Sioux Falls before moving on to Calvin. His overall record at Sioux Falls and Calvin is 528-288 (.647) and ranks 12th all-time on the NCAA Division III men’s basketball coaching list in coaching victories.
Vande Streek was a strong advocate for the game of basketball, having served as a member of the NCAA men’s basketball rules committee and on the NCAA Division III men’s basketball committee, with a term as its chair.
“You get into coaching for the love of the game, the competition and relationships,” said Vande Streek, who retired from coaching after the 2018-19 season. “As you get older, relationships are most important. I met with my players individually once a week. They learn lessons on the court and also about being a positive influence in the community.”
