South Jersey basketball icon Bill Ulrich dies aged 84
Ulrich, who played at Duke University and served as an assistant coach under Chuck Daly, passed away on August 9 surrounded by family.
Bill Ulrich, a prominent figure in South Jersey high school basketball, has died at the age of 84. According to the Cherry Hill Courier-Post, Ulrich passed away on August 9, surrounded by family. He is remembered for a 34-year coaching career at Sterling and Asbury Park High Schools, during which he amassed 665 career wins.
Ulrich is particularly noted for his tenure leading the Sterling girls' basketball program. Over 20 years, he guided the Silver Knights to 13 Colonial Conference titles, seven South Jersey sectional titles, and three NJSIAA Group 2 championships. His record with the girls' team stood at 446-73 through the 2000 season before he retired for health reasons ahead of the 2001 campaign.
Prior to his coaching career, Ulrich was a standout player at Audubon High School, where he became the first Green Wave player to score 1,000 career points. He went on to play college basketball at Duke University, helping the Blue Devils win an Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title as a sophomore. His playing career ended due to injury during his junior year.
During his time at Duke, Ulrich also began his coaching journey as an assistant freshman coach under Chuck Daly, who later became a National Basketball Association Hall of Famer. Ulrich returned to New Jersey to coach boys basketball at Asbury Park for four years, recording 55 wins, before taking a mathematics teaching position at Sterling. There, he led the boys' program for 10 seasons, securing 164 victories.
Viewings for Ulrich are scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., and Friday, August 14, 2026, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Zale Funeral Home in Stratford. Services will follow the Friday viewing, with burial taking place at New Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Bellmawr, New Jersey.
