GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah Athletics Department morns the passing of Luke Drescher, the first Athletic Director in Messiah Athletics history and Hall of Honor inductee in 2017, at the age of 87. Drescher passed away peacefully on Saturday, Mar. 4 in Harrisonburg, Va.
Drescher played a key part in helping to elevate athletics at Messiah from intramural contests to the foundations of intercollegiate athletic competition we know today. During a nine-year stint at Messiah College, Drescher served as Messiah's first Athletic Director as well as head coach for at least one year within each of those first sport programs, including men's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, track & field, cross country, and baseball. His longest-tenured coaching position came with men's basketball, from 1961-69.
While Drescher was overseeing the department, the name "Falcons" was adopted as the athletics moniker and many of the first sport programs moved from intramural to varsity status.
During his time at Messiah, Drescher also wrote and published "New Beginnings and Transitions", an historic review of the early days of Messiah physical education, intramural, and intercollegiate programming. In this historical review, Drescher encapsulated the early days of Messiah Athletics in the following excerpt:
During my first five years at Messiah (1961-65), I was the only staff person. As each sport was introduced, I coached it for at least the first year. At one time during this period, I coached soccer, supervised field hockey, men's and women's basketball, and baseball. Later, I worked with developing the cross-country team as well. Serving as athletic director, PE instructor and intramural director besides these coaching duties left little time for development. I am ever grateful for those persons who began to fill in positions as coaches and PE instructors.
In 1965, concerted effort began in recruiting student-athletes under the leadership of Tom Richendollar. Development and change came very rapidly. Looking at the yearbooks and college newspaper covering those early years, I am delighted to see the enthusiasm of the student. The number of participating students I phenomenal, considering the size of the student body.
The need and development for better equipment, uniforms, and facilities was very evident as these activities developed. As athletic director, instructor in PE, coach, sports information director, and athletic trainer, I found these nine years some of my most rewarding years full of fun, excitement, personal growth, and expectations. Programs were started with definite design and purpose.
A native of Rapho Township, Pa., Drescher earned his undergraduate degree from Eastern Mennonite College in 1957 and his master's degree in Physical Education from the University of Iowa in 1969. Despite calling Harrisonburg, Va. home for the final 50 years of his life, Drescher was often seen around the Messiah Athletics department sharing stories and wisdom about his time within the department.
A Garden Memorial Service will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 1, 2023, at Park View Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va. with Pastors Phil Kniss and Paula Stoltzfus officiating. A reception will follow at the church.
