Irondequoit, NY
Suddenly, Saturday March 17, 2018
Survived by his loving wife and daughter; Fran and Jill Kahler.
Cousins; Nancy (Ty) Thill, John (Kate) Christian.

No prior calling hours.
Family will receive friends 10 am , Saturday March 24, 2018 at The Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil the Great on the campus of St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14618, for a prayer service. Following prayers, the family will meet and greet friends and colleagues at The Ward-Haffey Dining Hall on the east campus of St. John Fisher College.

In lieu of flowers friends may make contributions to http://athletics.sjfc.edu/support in memory of PK

St. John Fisher College coaching legend Phil Kahler passed away on Saturday at the age of 84. Phil leaves behinds his
beautiful wife, Fran, whom he wedded in 1955, and their loving daughter, Jill.
Arriving in Rochester in 1974, Kahler turned the newly-formed St. John Fisher College women’s basketball program into one of nation’s top program at any level.
With an overall record of 797-175 in women’s basketball, Fisher ranked as the all-time winningest program in NCAA Division III under Kahler’s watch. No coach in all of NCAA basketball -- men's or women's -- Division I, II or III -- owned a better win percentage over a longer period of time.

Kahler, who reached the 600- and 700-win plateaus (716 games, 839 games respectively) faster than any other coach in NCAA basketball history, retired as the second-longest tenured coach in all of women's basketball, and the Division III coach with the most wins.
Kahler, a two-time national coach of the year, was inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, including the St. John Fisher College Athletics and Basketball Coaches of New York. He was also a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Under his watch, Fisher reached the 20-win plateau on 27 different occasions, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament 14 times. He lead the Cardinals to runner-up finishes in the 1988 and 1990 NCAA Championships, and strung together a streak of 32 consecutive winning seasons from 1976 to 2008. The Cardinals also advanced to the postseason 31 of a possible 34 times during his tenure.

“I would like to take this time to thank the St. John Fisher College administration that has supported me over the years,” Kahler said, at the time of his retirement. “It's really hard for me to believe that I've been here at St. John Fisher College for so long. Time flies when you're having fun, and I've loved every minute of it.”

Kahler, however, had no intentions of coaching when he and his family arrived in Rochester in 1974.
“I met with Father Lavery, who was President of the College, and he said he wanted to start an athletic program for the women and that I would be the women's athletic director,” Kahler said. “But when I arrived at Fisher, I found out there wasn't enough money to hire coaches, so I really didn't have a choice but to coach.”
With only 34 women attending Fisher at the time (the College was an all-male institution until 1971), Kahler met with interested students and asked them what sports they wanted, the response was basketball and volleyball.

Not only did Kahler create a dynasty on the basketball court, but the volleyball court as well. Kahler guided the Cardinals for nine seasons with a career record of 386-72, including eight straight trips to the state tournament from 1976 to 1983 and two appearances in the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NAIA) Championship. Fisher won an NAIA-record 61 matches during the 1980 season, and Fisher's 76 consecutive wins over the 1979 and 1980 seasons rank as the second-longest winning streak in NAIA history.

Kahler, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and later attended Dickinson State College in North Dakota. While at Dickinson he lettered in basketball, baseball, and football and met his wife, Fran.
Drafted in the Army before the birth of his daughter, Jill, Phil was stationed in his hometown of Anchorage. After completing his military obligation, he returned to Dickinson State to finish his undergraduate studies. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he earned a master's degree from the University of Toledo.
As a graduate student, Kahler accepted his first coaching job at nearby Arnegard High School. He proved he possessed a true knack for coaching when he led the boys' basketball team to a state title and the football team to back-to-back winning seasons.

Kahler managed the baseball team to a remarkable record of 119-13 and led the boy's basketball team to several league titles at DeVilbiss High School after enjoying success at Arnegard. Looking to take his coaching career to the next level, Kahler made his collegiate coaching debut at Aquinas College in Michigan, where he compiled a 60-41 record during his stay as the men's basketball coach.
When he wasn’t coaching or recruiting, Phil could usually be found with a fishing pole in his hands, spending his summers in the Thousand Islands with his fishing buddies, Jud and Jason Sloman and many others.
Phil left a legacy that will be forever remembered in our hearts and minds.