Babe McCarthy
Encyclopedia
James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy (October 1, 1923 – March 17, 1975), sometimes called "Ol' Magnolia Mouth" or just "Magnolia Mouth", was an American professional and collegiate basketball
coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi
. McCarthy may best be remembered for Mississippi State
's appearance in the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
when his all-white team sneaked out of town in order to face Loyola University Chicago
, which had four black starters.
In March 1975, McCarthy died as a result of colon cancer.
, where his teams won 169 games, lost 85, and won or shared four Southeastern Conference
(SEC) titles. While coaching at MSU he was named SEC Coach of the year 3 times. When he left Mississippi State he was the school's all-time leader in wins but has since been passed by Richard Williams
and Rick Stansbury
. http://www.mstateathletics.com/doc_lib/mbk_0607mg_history.pdf
McCarthy may best be remembered for his team crossing the color line in the segregated south of the 1960s. Even before it was certain that Mississippi State would face Loyola and their four black starters, racist elements in the Mississippi media got into the act. On Thursday, March 7, 1963 the Jackson Daily News printed a picture of Loyola's starters to show that four of them were African Americans. As a caption to the picture, Daily News editor Jimmy Ward wrote that "readers may desire to clip the photo of the Loyola team and mail it today to the board of trustees of the institution of higher learning" to prevent the game from taking place. At the time, Mississippi state law barred college teams at state schools from playing games against racially integrated teams.
The editorials were in response to the decision by Mississippi State President Dean W. Colvard
's March 2, 1963 to accept the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as SEC Champions-a bid that they had refused three times before when faced with the prospect of playing integrated teams. The College Board of Mississippi met on March 9, 1963 and upheld Colvard's decision. But on March 13, just a day before the team was scheduled to travel to East Lansing, state senator Billy Mitts and former state senator B.W. Lawson sought and obtained a temporary injunction against the team leaving the state.
While sheriffs were on their way to Starkville, Mississippi
to serve the injunction, the team was participating in a pep rally the night before their departure, where effigies of racist state senators Mitts and Lawson were hung. The team's original plan was to leave Starkville at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. But learning that sheriffs would be expected to arrive in town at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, MSU put their sophisticated contingency plan into effect.
McCarthy, the athletic director, and the assistant athletic director drove to Memphis, and then flew to Nashville. The team itself sent the freshman squad to the airport as scheduled-posing as the varsity team. The real varsity team hid in a dorm on campus. The next morning, they boarded a private plane at the airport and flew to Nashville to meet up with the coach and team officials. From Nashville, the whole group took a commercial flight to the game at East Lansing, Michigan. These events were chronicled in the DVD
One Night in March produced by Starkville-based Broadcast Media Group
He later coached the George Washington University
's men's basketball team, going 9-18 with the Colonials in 1966-1967.
, McCarthy coached the New Orleans Buccaneers
from 1967 to 1970, the Memphis Pros
from 1970 to 1972, the Dallas Chaparrals
for the 1972-73 season, and the Kentucky Colonels
in the 1973-1974 season. He was named ABA coach of the year for the 73-74 season. In the 1967-68 season he led the team two victories over the Denver Rockets and Dallas Chapparals before losing the finals in seven games to the Pittsburgh Condors
. He was named ABA coach of the year in 1969 and 1974. He was the first ABA coach to win 200 games.
"Boy, I gotta tell you, you gotta come out at 'em like a bitin' sow,"
"My old pappy used to tell me the sun don't shine on the same dog's butt every day,"
"Why panic at five in the mornin' because it's still dark out?" and
"Now, let's cloud up and rain all over 'em."
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. McCarthy may best be remembered for Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
's appearance in the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Louisville,...
when his all-white team sneaked out of town in order to face Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, which had four black starters.
In March 1975, McCarthy died as a result of colon cancer.
College career
McCarthy had coached at Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
, where his teams won 169 games, lost 85, and won or shared four Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) titles. While coaching at MSU he was named SEC Coach of the year 3 times. When he left Mississippi State he was the school's all-time leader in wins but has since been passed by Richard Williams
Richard Williams (basketball coach)
-References:http://statsheet.com/mcb/coaches/richard-williamshttp://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/16800/pdf/mbk/mbk_0910mg_history.pdf?SPSID=90871&SPID=10994&DB_OEM_ID=16800...
and Rick Stansbury
Rick Stansbury
Rick Stansbury is the current head men's basketball coach at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi....
. http://www.mstateathletics.com/doc_lib/mbk_0607mg_history.pdf
McCarthy may best be remembered for his team crossing the color line in the segregated south of the 1960s. Even before it was certain that Mississippi State would face Loyola and their four black starters, racist elements in the Mississippi media got into the act. On Thursday, March 7, 1963 the Jackson Daily News printed a picture of Loyola's starters to show that four of them were African Americans. As a caption to the picture, Daily News editor Jimmy Ward wrote that "readers may desire to clip the photo of the Loyola team and mail it today to the board of trustees of the institution of higher learning" to prevent the game from taking place. At the time, Mississippi state law barred college teams at state schools from playing games against racially integrated teams.
The editorials were in response to the decision by Mississippi State President Dean W. Colvard
Dean W. Colvard
Dean Wallace Colvard is a former president of Mississippi State University, notable for his role in a 1963 controversy surrounding the integration of that school's athletic teams....
's March 2, 1963 to accept the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as SEC Champions-a bid that they had refused three times before when faced with the prospect of playing integrated teams. The College Board of Mississippi met on March 9, 1963 and upheld Colvard's decision. But on March 13, just a day before the team was scheduled to travel to East Lansing, state senator Billy Mitts and former state senator B.W. Lawson sought and obtained a temporary injunction against the team leaving the state.
While sheriffs were on their way to Starkville, Mississippi
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
to serve the injunction, the team was participating in a pep rally the night before their departure, where effigies of racist state senators Mitts and Lawson were hung. The team's original plan was to leave Starkville at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. But learning that sheriffs would be expected to arrive in town at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, MSU put their sophisticated contingency plan into effect.
McCarthy, the athletic director, and the assistant athletic director drove to Memphis, and then flew to Nashville. The team itself sent the freshman squad to the airport as scheduled-posing as the varsity team. The real varsity team hid in a dorm on campus. The next morning, they boarded a private plane at the airport and flew to Nashville to meet up with the coach and team officials. From Nashville, the whole group took a commercial flight to the game at East Lansing, Michigan. These events were chronicled in the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
One Night in March produced by Starkville-based Broadcast Media Group
He later coached the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
's men's basketball team, going 9-18 with the Colonials in 1966-1967.
NCAA head coaching record
ABA career
In the American Basketball AssociationAmerican Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
, McCarthy coached the New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
from 1967 to 1970, the Memphis Pros
Memphis Pros
Memphis Pros were an American Basketball Association team during the 1970-1971 and 1971-1972 seasons.-Origins:The New Orleans Buccaneers were a charter member of the ABA and played for three seasons, 1967-1970, winning the Western Division championship in 1969...
from 1970 to 1972, the Dallas Chaparrals
Dallas Chaparrals
The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association, later becoming the San Antonio Spurs and joining the NBA.The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas...
for the 1972-73 season, and the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
in the 1973-1974 season. He was named ABA coach of the year for the 73-74 season. In the 1967-68 season he led the team two victories over the Denver Rockets and Dallas Chapparals before losing the finals in seven games to the Pittsburgh Condors
Pittsburgh Condors
The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association. Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA...
. He was named ABA coach of the year in 1969 and 1974. He was the first ABA coach to win 200 games.
Babe-isms
- Babe-isms were short funny phrases that earned McCarthy his nickname. A few of the more famous (and often used) Babe-isms were:
"Boy, I gotta tell you, you gotta come out at 'em like a bitin' sow,"
"My old pappy used to tell me the sun don't shine on the same dog's butt every day,"
"Why panic at five in the mornin' because it's still dark out?" and
"Now, let's cloud up and rain all over 'em."