William J. Lehman, age 74 of Seguin, passed away on November 12, 2012. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held on Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at Crossroads Church with Pastor Marcos Avalos officiating. Private interment will be held at a later date. Bill was born on March 25, 1938 in New Braunfels Texas to William Lehman, Sr. and Helen Woodhurst. Texas Lutheran Athletics Hall of Famer Bill Lehman earned All-American honors as a football player and later in life returned to his alma mater as the football team's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach and as the university's head coach for men's and women's tennis. In his Bulldog student-athlete days, Lehman lettered three years (1958-60) in tennis and in football (1957-59). He played offensive guard for the Bulldogs and twice earned First Team All-Texas from The Dallas Morning News. During his senior year at Texas Lutheran, he was named a Lutheran College All-American and an Associated Press Little All-American. Lehman, a 1960 graduate of TLU, was inducted into the Texas Lutheran Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008. Lehman served as TLU's head coach for men's and women's tennis from 2002 to 2010. He was the football team's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 1998 to 2000. Lehman volunteered as an assistant coach for the TLU football team in 2010 and 2011. Lehman took four tennis teams to the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament. In 2005, Lehman was named the ASC West Division Women's Coach of the Year for leading the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish in the ASC West Division. After the 2005 regular season success, Lehman took the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish at the ASC Championship Tournament. Both finishes (in the ASC West and in the conference tournament) are the best finishes by TLU squads in conference regular-season and conference tournament action. In 2007, the TLU men's team advanced to the tournament and upset ASC East No. 2 seed LeTourneau. In 2006, Lehman guided the TLU women's team to the ASC Championship Tournament semifinal. Lehman's 2005 men's squad qualified for its first-ever American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament after finishing third in the ASC West Division. The Bulldogs upset No. 2 East Division seed Mississippi College in the opening round of the tournament before falling in the semifinals to eventual ASC tournament champion Hardin-Simmons. Lehman also coached Angela Bryant to the 2005 ASC West Division Player of the Year honor and to the ASC All-Conference team. He coached a total of four All-ASC players and 23 All-ASC West Division honorees. The Bulldogs also produced 34 Academic All-Conference selections in the Lehman era. Lehman served as the athletics staff sponsor for the university's chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was named the 2000 Greater San Antonio South Texas Area FCA Sponsor of the Year. Lehman's professional football career included playing time in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders and eight years (six as a player/assistant coach) with the San Antonio Toros of the Continental Football League. Following his playing career, he wrestled professionally for 13 years under the names Siegfried Stanke and Spoiler No. 2 and against the likes of Andre The Giant and Fritz von Erich. As Siegfried Stanke, Lehman was a two-time champion in the World Class Championship Wrestling Texas Heavyweight Division. He won four tag team championships and one other heavyweight championship in his wrestling career.
The end of his professional wrestling days sparked the beginning of his football coaching career. In his more than 20 years in the high school ranks, Lehman served as an assistant coach at San Antonio East Central, Laredo Martin, San Antonio Southwest, Donna, Mission and McAllen. Lehman was the head offensive assistant under Sonny Detmer at San Antonio Southwest and Mission, when those schools had the services of future Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Ty Detmer and future NFL quarterback Koy Detmer. He is preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his loving wife of 25 years, Sherry Lehman; son, Troy Lehman and wife Holly; granddaughter, Evelyn Lehman. Memorial contributions may be made to Crossroads Church, P. O. Box 1245, Seguin, Texas, 78156 or to the Texas Lutheran University Football Program, c/o development office, 1000 West Court Street, Seguin, Texas, 78155-9989.