Richard "Doc" Sauers, a longtime University at Albany men's basketball coach who won more than 700 games over a career spanning four decades, has died at the age of 96.
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UAlbany athletic director Mark Benson confirmed Sauers' death, via the Albany Times-Union. A cause of death was not immediately available.
Sauers led the program for 41 seasons across two stints, first from 1955 to 1987 and again from 1988 to 1997. He took over when the school was known as the New York State College for Teachers and guided it through decades of growth, finishing with a 702-330 record.
His teams made 11 NCAA Division III tournament appearances and reached the regional finals three times. UAlbany's most successful season under Sauers came in 1993-94, when the team went 25-3 and advanced to the final eight of the Division III tournament.
Sauers was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1985 and, at the time of his retirement in 1997, was one of 11 men's coaches with at least 700 career victories.
Beyond basketball, Sauers also coached men's and women's golf and briefly led the school's baseball team. He continued coaching women's golf until 2012, guiding the program through its transition to Division I and earning America East Coach of the Year honors in 2010.
Sauers was inducted into multiple halls of fame, including the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, UAlbany and Slippery Rock.
He remained active with the university after retiring, serving as a special assistant to the athletic director.
