Not many fathers, in any profession, can say that they work for their son. Dave Lebo is a prime example, and he loves it.
[quote]Coach Dave,[quote] as he is known by, enters his sixth season at Auburn University, 12th on head coach Jeff Lebo[apos]s staff and his 43rd year in the basketball profession.
Lebo played a vital role in the revitalization of the Auburn basketball program as the Tigers recorded their first winning season since 2003 and played for the SEC[apos]s Western Division title in the 2007 regular season finale.
Coach Dave, the father of head coach Jeff Lebo, gave up a very successful head coaching career in the high school ranks, one in which he was named the 1988 National Coach of the Year, to join his son at the collegiate level.
In fact, Carlisle (Pa.) High School named its homecourt [quote]Coach Lebo Court[quote] in a ceremony Dec. 2, 2005, to honor and show appreciation for all of Coach Dave[apos]s service to the school and community.
He was inducted into the South Central Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame at its annual induction banquet Nov. 18, 2007, in Carlisle, Pa.
When Jeff Lebo accepted his first head coaching position in 1998 at Tennessee Tech, one of his first recruits was his father. Coach Dave worked as an assistant for Jeff at Tech and joined the entire staff at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga when Jeff became the head coach for the Mocs in 2002. He coached two-time first-team All-Conference forward Ashley Champion both seasons. Coach Dave coached the big men at Tech, UTC and Auburn.
At Tennessee Tech, Coach Dave helped the Golden Eagles to a four-year mark of 75-43. After inheriting a program near the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference, the Tech staff guided the Golden Eagles to back-to-back OVC regular-season titles in 2001 and 2002.
The Eagles won 20 or more games twice, going 20-9 in 2000-01 while the 2001-02 team set a school record for victories with a 27-7 record (15-1 OVC). They lost to Murray State in the OVC Tournament championship game but advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals with wins over Georgia State, Dayton and Yale before being eliminated by eventual champion Memphis.
He coached nine All-OVC selections in four years at Tennessee Tech.
Coach Dave, 64, is considered one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the state of Pennsylvania. He directed the boys program at Carlisle (Pa.) High School, all but two years from 1977-98 and compiled a remarkable 365-149 overall record.
While at Carlisle, Lebo guided his teams to four consecutive State Championships (118-11 record) and coached All-American Billy Owens, who later starred at Syracuse and had a 10-year NBA career. His son, Jeff, was a member of the first championship team in 1985.
Coach Dave was honored as the 1988 National Coach of the Year and the Associated Press Pennsylvania Coach of the Year. During his tenure, Carlisle won eight conference titles and six district championships.
He was the head coach of the United States All-Stars in the McDonald[apos]s Classic in Washington D.C. in 1984 and was the head coach of the West squad in the McDonald[apos]s All-American game in Philadelphia in 1987. He was presented [quote]Carlisle[apos]s Finest Award - Teacher Category[quote] in 1985.
Coach Dave was elected to the Elizabethtown College Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. He then worked one season as a head coach at Elizabethtown College, leading his alma mater to a 16-10 record in 1989-90, before returning to Carlisle High School.
He began his career as an assistant coach at East Pennsboro High School in Enola, Pa., from 1966-70 and then recorded a 120-59 record in seven years from 1970-77 as the head coach.
A 1966 Elizabethtown College graduate in Secondary Education, Coach Dave also received a Master[apos]s degree in Secondary Education/Guidance Counseling in 1969 from Shippensburg University.
Born September 25, 1944, in Carlisle, Pa., Coach Dave is married to the former Linda Miller in 1967. They also have a daughter, Amy, and five grandchildren.