By Glenn Rolfe

SEAFORD — The Blue Jay Nest at Seaford High School has a new name, to honor the man whose employment there made up a significant portion of his Hall of Fame credentials and the school’s sports prowess.

After weather postponements twice, the third time was the charm Monday, as the facility was formally dedicated the Ben Sirman Gymnasium in a ceremony between games of a basketball double-header.

“I’d just like to thank those people that nominated me for this honor, the committee that approved the nomination and the Seaford school board for unanimously approving my nomination,” said Mr. Sirman, a longtime athletic director, coach and teacher for Seaford High. “It is greatly appreciated. Thank you very, very much.”

On hand were many former athletes and associates of Mr. Sirman’s, as well as members of his family — his wife, Ellen; their son, Trey; and their granddaughter, Mia.

The football, basketball and baseball star, now 83, graduated in 1958 from Laurel High School. He also was a three-sport athlete at Swarthmore College.

After a teaching and coaching stint from 1962-69 at the former Bridgeville High School, Mr. Sirman was hired by the Seaford School District as a teacher, head football coach and assistant athletic director. Four years later, in 1973, he assumed the positions of guidance counselor and athletic director at Seaford High.

He started a junior high school athletic program for all sports in 1976 and, at the same time, instituted weight training into the high school curriculum.

Under his tenure, the Blue Jays captured 99 titles, which included division, conference and state championships.

“Seaford’s success during my years as coach and AD was made possible through a combination of community support, a supportive administration, an enthusiastic student body, outstanding athletes and great coaching,” Mr. Sirman said. “Many of those great athletes and coaches are here tonight, and I appreciate that greatly. Thank you for all you did during ‘our’ time at Seaford High School.”

Affectionately known to many as simply “Coach,” Mr. Sirman’s Facebook page has been lit up with well wishes, including comments like:

• “You set a standard for so many through your coaching and leadership style.” — Jay Clark.
• “You earned this honor, Coach, with your lifetime commitment. Congrats.” — Butch Simpson.
• “Coach Sirman! You’ve more than earned this recognition!” — Matt McCombs.
• “Coach! You have touched so many young lives. I was one.” — John Pederson.

Mr. Sirman was named Delaware’s Athletic Director of the Year in 1991. Upon retirement from the Seaford School District that year, he assumed the role of executive secretary of the Henlopen Athletic Conference until 2002.

And along the way, there have been calls from halls.

He has been inducted into the Delaware Basketball Hall of Fame, the Delaware Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame and the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. He also received the Herm Reitzes Award for Service from the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association in 2009.

At its December 2021 meeting, the Seaford School District’s board of education voted to name the gym in his honor.

Mr. Sirman, who splits his time between Seaford and Fenwick Island, thanked his family during the ceremony Monday.

“My years as a coach, counselor and athletic director have been a family affair,” he said. “Ellen was my unheralded and unpaid assistant for all those years. Trey grew up tagging along with me at all the events and, eventually, became a member of some of our championship teams of the late 1980s and was on the coaching staff of Seaford’s last football conference championship team. Trey has followed in my footsteps, becoming a teacher, a coach and athletic director and now a vice principal at Northern High School in Calvert County, Maryland.”

A proud grandpa, Mr. Sirman noted that Mia graduated from the University of Pittsburgh — in 3½ years — and will start law school at Duquesne University this fall.

His sincere wish was that two other people could have been there for the dedication: his brother, who is in a long-term care facility, and legendary Seaford football and baseball coach Ron “Capt. Dick” Dickerson, who passed away in October 2019.

“The greatest of all our coaches. The greatest Blue Jay of all — Capt. Dick. I miss him daily,” said Mr. Sirman, noting that members of the Dickerson family attended the dedication.