Bill Toadvine

align=center> Bill Toadvine ATHENS, Ohio - After translating a successful pitching career as a Bobcat into a long and prosperous tenure as his alma materchr(39)s pitching instructor, Ohio Associate Head Coach Bill Toadvine succumbed to the effects of lung cancer on Tuesday, Nov. 15 and passed away at the age of 56."The Ohio athletics family is deeply saddened by the loss of one of its most beloved members," said Ohio Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt. "Bill was a tremendous teacher and coach whose kindness and professionalism set a great example for the many student-athletes and coworkers whom he served as both a mentor and friend.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Wendy and his family at this time."With a combined 21 years of service to the Ohio baseball program, Toadvine made an impact as both a player and a coach.A three-year letter-winning pitcher under Head Coach Bob Wren from 1968-71, Toadvine helped the Bobcats to Mid-American Conference titles in each of those seasons.  In Ohiochr(39)s only appearance in the College World Series in 1970, Toadvine recorded a victory by pitching 8 2-3 innings to defeat Iowa State.  He was also the starting pitcher in one of only six no-hitters in the 113-year history of Ohio University baseball.Toadvine worked alongside his former Ohio teammate and current Bobcat Head Coach Joe Carbone for the past 17 years, tutoring nine first-team All-MAC pitchers.  During that period, 24 Bobcat hurlers went on to sign professional baseball contracts.Upon graduation from Ohio in 1971 with a degree in secondary education, Toadvine coached and taught science for 17 years at Miamisburg High School. In his 10 years at the helm of the program, he brought Miamisburg four Dayton District championships.  His accomplishments there were later rewarded when he was inducted into the Miami Valley Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Miamisburg High School Hall of Fame in 1995.He returned to ATHENS -n the fall of 1988, however, when Carbone was named Ohiochr(39)s eighth head coach.  Toadvine came on board for the 1989 season as the teamchr(39)s pitching coach and completed his masterchr(39)s degree in athletic administration that June.  Toadvine was then promoted by Carbone to serve as the full-time assistant.Carbone and Toadvine combined to win 511 games during their 17 seasons together, an average of 30 wins a season.  During that span the Bobcats captured MAC Championships in 1991 and 1997."Bill and I have been friends for almost 40 years," said Carbone.  "We came into Ohio University together and I enjoyed every minute of our playing and coaching careers together and our time with each other.  He was a great coach, friend and a great man.  Everybody that has ever known or been associated with Bill will miss him very deeply."Toadvine is survived by his wife Wendy, daughter Kasie and her husband Joe, son Brock and his wife Marcia, son Kelly, and grandchildren Joshua, Olivia, Will and Bailee; five brothers and sisters, Gloria and Ted Foust, Sara and Warren Williams, Charles and Shirley Toadvine, Bonna and Tony Lehman, and Dale and Jeane Toadvine all of Miamisburg. A memorial service will be held this Saturday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Ohio University.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Toadvine Scholarship Fund in care of the Ohio University Foundation at P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701.Donations can also be made to the American Cancer Society to further lung cancer research.A second memorial service will be held Sunday, Nov. 27, at 2 p.m., in the Assembly of God Church in Miamisburg, Ohio.Arrangements are by Hughes-Moquin Funeral Home. You may send a message of sympathy to the family at www.hughesmoquinfuneralhome.com.