Archive for Coaches

Paul “Bear” Bryant

Posted in Elmwood Cemetery with tags , , on January 25, 2021 by Cade

September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983

Legendary college football coach, Bear Bryant, is widely regarded as the best coach in the history of the sport. His 38 year head coaching career garnered 6 National Championships and 15 Conference titles. He is most closely associated with the University of Alabama, where he played as a student and spent 24 years at the helm of the Crimson Tide program. He remains the youngest head coach to reach 300 career wins and 30 winning seasons. He only had one losing season in his entire career. Bryant was named conference coach of the year 15 times. Though most of his on-field success was at Alabama, he also was the head coach at Maryland, Kentucky and Texas A&M.

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Phog Allen

Posted in Oak Hill Cemetery with tags , , , on November 5, 2013 by Cade

phog1November 18, 1885 – September 16, 1974

Forrest Clare Allen had many nicknames. To players he worked closely with, he was “Doc” (he was an osteopathic physician). To the larger, basketball community, he is the “Father of Basketball Coaching.” But, to most – including the legion of fans of his beloved Kansas Jayhawks – he is simply “Phog.”

Phog Allen played basketball for KU under the game’s inventor, James Naismith. He also lettered in baseball. He eventually coached both sports, along with the school’s football team. He even served as the university’s Athletic Director for nearly two decades. But it was as a basketball coach that he will always be remembered. Continue reading →

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John Wooden

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on September 9, 2013 by Cade

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October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010

I’m just going to start this off by complaining about the fact that someone dubbed “The Wizard of Westwood” is not, in fact, buried IN Westwood.

Ok, with that out of the way, let’s talk college basketball. John Wooden was an All-American player at Purdue, but is best regarded for being the head coach of the UCLA Bruins from 1948-1975. While in Westwood, Wooden led the Bruins to 10 National Championships…in 12 years.  His program won 88 consecutive games at one point during this amazing run. A feat that has never even been sniffed by another team. Continue reading →

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James Naismith

Posted in Memorial Park Cemetery (KS) with tags , , , on March 18, 2013 by Cade

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November 6, 1861 – November 28, 1939

Canadian-born James Naismith was a physical educator, coach and inventor. He is most remembered for inventing the game of basketball at a Massachusetts YMCA in 1891. Naismith then went on to become the first basketball coach at the University of Kansas. He famously told his successor, Forest “Phog” Allen, that you “can’t coach basketball; you just play it.”  He was partially right.  HE wasn’t that great at coaching it.  He retired with a 55–60 career record.

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