Taking over after a legend is a task that most coaches would prefer not to partake in. However, coach Dempsey came to Youngstown after the retirement of Beede in 1973.     

Dempsey was a graduate and coach at "tradition Rich" Geneva college in Beaver Falls, PA. As you can imagine, being YSU's longest rival (at least in basketball) Rey certainly knew the Penguin tradition as-well-as anyone.

     His Penguins fell short of a winning season in his first year (4-6). However, in his second (1974), the Penguins had a sensational year at 8-2 ... with their first ever post-season invitation to the DII play-off. 

     As one might have expected ... DI "came calling" early and Rey left Youngstown to coach such schools as Memphis and Southern Illinois.  Rey was national "coach-of-the-year" in 1983, as he led his SIU Salukis to the I-AA national championship.