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Zeller adds Piqua Athletic Hall of Fame to impressive resume

David Zeller, a two-time athletic hall of famer, 30-year veteran teacher and 45-year head basketball coach, was inducted into the Piqua High School Athletic Hall of Fame last fall.

Contributed photo David Zeller, a two-time athletic hall of famer, 30-year veteran teacher and 45-year head basketball coach, was inducted into the Piqua High School Athletic Hall of Fame last fall.

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By Alex Sator, Contributing Writer 9:14 PM Wednesday, January 13, 2010

PIQUA—When the Piqua High School Athletic Hall of Fame inducted David Zeller last fall it wasn’t the first time that he had been honored in such a fashion and it probably won’t be the last.

Already a member of the Miami University (1979) and the Tecumseh High School (class of ’57 athletic halls of fame, this 30-year veteran teacher — and 45-year head basketball coach — accumulated more than 500 career wins.

“You’d think that I’d be all Hall-of-Famed out by now,” the long-time Piqua resident said. “But I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t a great honor. I have always loved the game and I have tried to give back at least as much as I took out of it.”

Zeller was Piqua’s head basketball coach for 23 years (1970-93, a 269-224 record). His Indians won four conference and three sectional titles.

“I coached four All-Ohio players at Piqua,” he said, laughing. “I always had good kids to work with and that has meant a lot to the program over the years. That’s what made us consistent winners.

“And if the kids learned something in the process? That would be priceless.”

Coach of all trades

The quotable coach — who was selected an AP first-team All-Ohio point guard in 1957 when he played at Tecumseh — also served as Piqua’s head softball coach from 1983-86, and the Indians won a district title (1984) and also were district runners-up (’85).

Currently he is Edison State Community College’s men’s basketball coach.

“I have a lot of respect for Chip Hare (Edison’s Athletic Director),” said Zeller. “I’ve known him since I coached against him in a high school all-star game back in the day. When the coaching position at Edison opened up it just felt like the right thing for me.

“We play against a lot of tough, tough teams like Owens Tech and Sinclair. Honestly, wins can be pretty hard to come by.”

In 1961, Zeller was named an honorable mention basketball All-American at Miami. He also was drafted by the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals.

“I wasn’t much of a player at Miami,” said the Mid-American Conference’s leading scorer (22.9) in 1960-61. “I was just lucky to play with Wayne Embry every step of the way.”

Royals draftee

Embry, the burly center who also starred for Tecumseh, Miami, and the Royals (just like Zeller), was a five-time NBA All-Star.

He was also the first black general manager in the NBA.

Accordingly, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

“I really think that Wayne talked the Royals into drafting me in the first place,” Zeller said. “With players like Oscar Robertson and Adrian Smith around I am not sure that I understand what they saw in me.

“But I can say I played with and against some of the best basketball players who ever played the game. I wouldn’t trade the experience for much of anything.”

Also inducted into the Piqua Hall of Fame were multi-sport standouts Mike Butsch (1967) and Chadwick Davis (’88).

Contact this writer with story ideas at alex sator hotair@hotmail.com.

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