Gene Bartow
Encyclopedia
Gene Bartow is a former men's college basketball
coach
. The Browning, Missouri
, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years.
and St. Charles
High School basketball squads to a 145-39 win-loss mark in six seasons. His 1957 St. Charles team won the state championship, defeating North Kansas City in the Class L finals by a score of 60-54.
from 1961–1964, Valparaiso University
from 1964–1970 and Memphis State University
from 1970 until 1974, and he led the Memphis State Tigers to the 1973 NCAA national championship game
and consecutive Missouri Valley Conference
titles in the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons. He coached the US national team in the 1974 FIBA World Championship
, winning the bronze medal.
In 1974 Bartow accepted the head coach
ing position at the University of Illinois
. Illinois finished 8-18 in his only season coaching the Fighting Illini
, and Bartow left his position to succeed John Wooden
as the head coach of UCLA
. Bartow coached at UCLA
from 1975 to 1977, guiding them to a 52-9 record, including a berth in the 1976 Final Four
.He coached the 1977 College Player of the Year, Marques Johnson. As of 2008, he is the second winningest coach at UCLA by percentage of wins to losses at .852, putting him behind Gary Cunningham
at .862 and above John Wooden at .808.
Bartow left UCLA after the 1977 season to take over the job of creating an athletic program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
, more commonly known as UAB. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT
in the program's second year of existence, and followed that up with seven straight NCAA Tournament
appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16
in 1981 and the Elite Eight
in 1982.
Bartow retired from coaching in 1996, and in 1997, UAB renamed its basketball venue, Bartow Arena
, in his honor. His son Murry
, a UAB assistant, became the coach upon Bartow's retirement; Bartow is now president of Hoops, LP, the company that runs the Memphis Grizzlies
and the FedEx Forum.
On April 15, 2009, a UAB spokesman revealed that Bartow had been diagnosed with stomach cancer
.
Bartow was also voted one of Valparaiso University
150 most influential people in October 2009. http://www.valpoathletics.com/news/default/147/9231/
Bartow was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on November 22, 2009, along with fellow inductees Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wayman Tisdale, Jud Heathcote, Walter Byers, Travis Grant, and Bill Wall.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. The Browning, Missouri
Browning, Missouri
Browning is a city in Linn and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 317 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Browning is located at ....
, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years.
High school
Bartow began his coaching at the prep level in Missouri, coaching ShelbinaShelbina, Missouri
Shelbina is a city in Shelby County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,704 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Shelbina is located at ....
and St. Charles
Saint Charles, Missouri
St. Charles is a city in, and the county seat of, St. Charles County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 65,794, making St. Charles the 2nd largest city in St. Charles County. It lies just to the northwest of St. Louis, Missouri on the Missouri River, and, for a time,...
High School basketball squads to a 145-39 win-loss mark in six seasons. His 1957 St. Charles team won the state championship, defeating North Kansas City in the Class L finals by a score of 60-54.
College
Bartow coached at Central Missouri State UniversityUniversity of Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri is a four-year public institution in Warrensburg, Missouri.- History :...
from 1961–1964, Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
from 1964–1970 and Memphis State University
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
from 1970 until 1974, and he led the Memphis State Tigers to the 1973 NCAA national championship game
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
and consecutive Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
titles in the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons. He coached the US national team in the 1974 FIBA World Championship
1974 FIBA World Championship
The 1974 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Puerto Rico from July 3 to 14, 1974.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:-Final round:...
, winning the bronze medal.
In 1974 Bartow accepted the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
ing position at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. Illinois finished 8-18 in his only season coaching the Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
, and Bartow left his position to succeed John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
as the head coach of UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Bartow coached at UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
from 1975 to 1977, guiding them to a 52-9 record, including a berth in the 1976 Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
.He coached the 1977 College Player of the Year, Marques Johnson. As of 2008, he is the second winningest coach at UCLA by percentage of wins to losses at .852, putting him behind Gary Cunningham
Gary Cunningham
Gary Cunningham is a college men's basketball coach. He was the head coach of the University of California, Los Angeles men's basketball team from 1977 to 1979, guiding them to a 50–8 record. He has the highest winning percentage of any coach in UCLA men's basketball history . This puts him ahead...
at .862 and above John Wooden at .808.
Bartow left UCLA after the 1977 season to take over the job of creating an athletic program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
, more commonly known as UAB. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
in the program's second year of existence, and followed that up with seven straight NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1981 and the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
in 1982.
Bartow retired from coaching in 1996, and in 1997, UAB renamed its basketball venue, Bartow Arena
Bartow Arena
Bartow Arena is an 8,508-seat multi-purpose arena in Birmingham, Alabama. It is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers men's and women's basketball teams as well as the women's volleyball team. The arena is named after Gene Bartow, the coach who largely built the school's men's...
, in his honor. His son Murry
Murry Bartow
Murry Bartow is an American college basketball coach and the current the head men's coach at East Tennessee State University. Prior to accepting the head coaching job at ETSU, he served as the head coach for UAB from 1996 to 2002, succeeding his father Gene Bartow, the creator of the Blazers...
, a UAB assistant, became the coach upon Bartow's retirement; Bartow is now president of Hoops, LP, the company that runs the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
and the FedEx Forum.
On April 15, 2009, a UAB spokesman revealed that Bartow had been diagnosed with stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
.
Honors
In 1989, Bartow was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, 10 years later, in 1999, Central Missouri State Hall of Fame also elected him to theirs.Bartow was also voted one of Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
150 most influential people in October 2009. http://www.valpoathletics.com/news/default/147/9231/
Bartow was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on November 22, 2009, along with fellow inductees Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wayman Tisdale, Jud Heathcote, Walter Byers, Travis Grant, and Bill Wall.