Lehigh Legacies: Greg Falkenbach’s life of rebounds and responsibilities

Lehigh men’s basketball player Greg Falkenbach, ‘72, said he knew he was a perfectionist from an early age. 

Falkenbach said he picked up a basketball at 12 years old, and by 14, began to take it more seriously. He said he always made sure to play with intent, motivated to be the best he could be. 

When Falkenbach first arrived at Lehigh, he said he didn’t have expectations about how good his coaches and team would be, or whether he would play at all. However, his hard work paid off, earning him a spot in the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

“I just had to try my best and see what happens,” Falkenbach said. “I was very fortunate that it worked out for me.” 

While at Lehigh, Falkenbach worked as a caddy and at the Bethlehem Steel Factory. His hard work led to a strong physique that propelled him on the court.

Falkenbach went on to secure the top record for most rebounds in a single game twice, grabbing 25 rebounds versus Franklin and Marshall College on Jan. 31, 1969, and against Drexel University on Dec. 19, 1970. He said his knack for rebounding wasn’t intentional and developed through a series of circumstances and his evolution within the game. After being assigned as center due to his 6-foot-7 stature, he said he quickly realized his role was to protect the net and secure the ball within the paint. 

“In my eyes I could best contribute by doing what I could to get us extra possessions,” Falkenbach said. “By getting rebounds and helping these guys get open, I could get my fair share of points.” 

Falkenbach still holds a high career average of 12.2 rebounds per game, 50% higher than two of the three players who surpassed him in career rebounds, despite playing fewer games at a time when freshmen weren’t allowed to play varsity basketball. 

Bob Fortune,‘70, a fellow Lehigh Athletics Hall of Famer and former teammate, said Falkenbach was the missing piece the team needed at the time. 

“Based on what we had done the prior year, we needed another big guy like Greg,” Fortune said. “He certainly dominated the rebounding and defensive part of the game that we needed.” 

Fortune said Falkenbach instantly recognized a crucial point of teamwork: knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses and playing accordingly.

In the final games of his senior year, Fortune said a big part of his success was his close connection with Falkenbach. The chemistry helped the team break a tie in the Lehigh-Lafayette matchup on Feb. 26, 1970, when Fortune scored 31 points to secure an 86-83 win. 

“We became close early on, living in the same fraternity (house),” Fortune said. “I think we complemented each other on the basketball floor.” 

Despite only studying at Lehigh together for a year, Fortune said they developed a lifelong friendship and still talk regularly.

Paul Hartzell, ‘75, a Hall of Famer, was another close friend and fraternity brother of Falkenbach. He said he only played with Falkenbach collegiately during his senior year but spent more time playing basketball together after Falkenbach graduated on their fraternity’s intramural team and Bethlehem’s city league team. 

“I don’t think he ever missed a game,” Hartzell said.

After graduation, Falkenbach worked as a financial advisor in the Lehigh Valley. 

Hartzell said the first insurance policy he ever purchased was a life insurance policy sold to him by Falkenbach. Just as he could count on Falkenbach for rebounds, Hartzell said he could always count on him to give good advice about personal investments and insurance needs. 

After graduating from Lehigh with a bachelor’s of science in finance, Falkenbach said he didn’t have much money to his name. Despite this, he got a job through a former teammate at a textile machinery company. 

After a year, he pursued financial services. Falkenbach said there was no guarantee of making money at that time, despite his expertise. 

“It was really hard in terms of getting started,” Falkenbach said. “The only people I knew were people my age, and we all didn’t have much money.”

Falkenbach said there was some stability from his wife’s health benefits as a teacher, it still took a decade to build a solid client base. He said he told himself as long as he concentrated on taking care of people, it would work out. 

After he began working under the umbrella of Mass Mutual Life insurance Company, he started his own practice. Today, his son-in-law, Jonathan Mull, is in charge of the practice. However, Falkenbach said he still helps maintain the hundreds of clients he garnered himself, some of whom have been with him for more than 50 years.

Falkenbach said he credits his success to his positive attitude, a trait he learned from his parents.

Growing up, his parents didn’t get to see many of his games because his mother focused on his younger siblings and his father’s mechanic business kept him busy. However, Falkenbach said he always knew they were his safety net and would give him unconditional love. 

“I knew I was loved in different ways by my mom and dad,” he said. “I didn’t even have to think about it back then.” 

He said his father would never crawl into a corner and give up, and he internalized that message and never gave up either. 

“I hope that the people who know me can trust me,” Falkenbach said. “(Being) the best person I could be is all I could do.” 

Falkenbach continues to give back to the Lehigh community, serving as the radio color analyst for men’s basketball games, a position he’s held since 1981. 

He was the Lehigh Class of 1972 Alumni President from 1987 through 1992 and is a longtime member of the Lehigh Home Club, a regional alumni chapter that hosts local events, serving as its president from 1984-85. He’s also been the chairman of the Lehigh Athletics Partnership annual Golf and Tennis Classic since 1998.