Hec Edmundson
Encyclopedia
Clarence Sinclair "Hec" Edmundson (August 3, 1886 – August 6, 1964) was a college basketball
head coach
. A native of Moscow
, Idaho
, and a 1910 graduate of the University of Idaho
, Edmundson coached at his alma mater
(1916-18) and the University of Washington (1920-47), compiling a 508-204 (.713) overall record in 29 seasons.
Hec Edmundson also coached the track
teams and served on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee from 1941-46. The University of Washington hosted the national basketball finals
in 1949
and 1952
in the arena that bears his name.
from his mother: as a child he often muttered, "Oh, heck.".
, Edmundson competed in track for his hometown Vandals
, where he launched the team onto the national stage when he and two other athletes traveled to the Lewis and Clark Exposition Games against the top schools in the Northwest.
Newspapers wrote that Edmundson "impressed with his graceful form and unfaltering determination." He is responsible for organizing the Idaho cross country
team in 1908, which set the foundation for a team that would win nine Pacific Coast Conference
titles. Also in 1908, Edmundson traveled to Stanford
for the U.S. Olympic trials, where he won the 800 meters and finished second in the 400 meters. Edmundson held the title of top half-miler in the country through 1912. He became the first Idahoan to compete in the Olympic Games
, in London in 1908
and in Stockholm in 1912
.
In Stockholm, he finished seventh in the 800 meters and sixth in the 400 meters.
Edmundson earned a bachelor's degree
in agriculture
from Idaho in 1910.
. He then headed west to Seattle to coach the Washington Huskies
, where he is credited with the creation of the fast-break offense style, which he attributed to his track background.
Pavilion, a field house opened in December 1927, was renamed "Hec Edmundson Pavilion
" in his honor in January 1948. In March 1999, "Hec Ed" underwent a major interior renovation for 19 months and re-opened in November 2000.
in northeast Seattle, about a mile (1.6 km) north-northeast of the Hec Edmundson Pavilion. He is buried next to his wife Mary (1887-1980), son James (1924-2000), and infant child (1921). Edmundson was posthumously inducted into the Big W Club, the UW athletics hall of fame, in the first class of 1979.
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....
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...
. A native of Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and a 1910 graduate of the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
, Edmundson coached at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
(1916-18) and the University of Washington (1920-47), compiling a 508-204 (.713) overall record in 29 seasons.
Hec Edmundson also coached the track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams and served on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee from 1941-46. The University of Washington hosted the national basketball finals
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 1949
1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1949, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Seattle, Washington...
and 1952
1952 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....
in the arena that bears his name.
Nickname
Edmundson gained his nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
from his mother: as a child he often muttered, "Oh, heck.".
Collegiate and Olympic career
One of the first great athletes at the fledgling University of IdahoUniversity of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
, Edmundson competed in track for his hometown Vandals
Idaho Vandals
The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Idaho. They participate in NCAA Division I - FBS in the Western Athletic Conference ....
, where he launched the team onto the national stage when he and two other athletes traveled to the Lewis and Clark Exposition Games against the top schools in the Northwest.
Newspapers wrote that Edmundson "impressed with his graceful form and unfaltering determination." He is responsible for organizing the Idaho cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
team in 1908, which set the foundation for a team that would win nine Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
titles. Also in 1908, Edmundson traveled to Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
for the U.S. Olympic trials, where he won the 800 meters and finished second in the 400 meters. Edmundson held the title of top half-miler in the country through 1912. He became the first Idahoan to compete in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, in London in 1908
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
and in Stockholm in 1912
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
.
In Stockholm, he finished seventh in the 800 meters and sixth in the 400 meters.
Edmundson earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
from Idaho in 1910.
Coaching career
After his athletic success, Edmundson returned to UI as a coach for both track and basketball. His basketball teams compiled a 20-9 record in two seasons. It was his basketball teams that led to Idaho’s athletic teams being nicknamed the VandalsIdaho Vandals
The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Idaho. They participate in NCAA Division I - FBS in the Western Athletic Conference ....
. He then headed west to Seattle to coach the Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The school is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The athletic program is made up of 9 men's sports and 10 women's sports Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The...
, where he is credited with the creation of the fast-break offense style, which he attributed to his track background.
Hec Ed Pavilion
The UWUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
Pavilion, a field house opened in December 1927, was renamed "Hec Edmundson Pavilion
Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion
Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, commonly known as Hec Ed, is an indoor arena on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, the home of the Washington Huskies of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1927, the brick venue is home to the UW men's and women's...
" in his honor in January 1948. In March 1999, "Hec Ed" underwent a major interior renovation for 19 months and re-opened in November 2000.
Grave
Hec Edmundson died of a stroke in August 1964 at the age of 78, and was interred in the Calvary CemeteryCalvary Cemetery (Seattle)
Calvary Cemetery is a cemetery in Seattle, Washington, USA, located in the Ravenna/Bryant neighborhood. Dedicated on December 1, 1889, it is on the southwest slope of a hill overlooking University Village....
in northeast Seattle, about a mile (1.6 km) north-northeast of the Hec Edmundson Pavilion. He is buried next to his wife Mary (1887-1980), son James (1924-2000), and infant child (1921). Edmundson was posthumously inducted into the Big W Club, the UW athletics hall of fame, in the first class of 1979.
External links
- University of Idaho - Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame - Hec Edmundson
- Washington Sports Hall of Fame - coaches
- South Fork Companion - Athlete and Coach "Hec" Edmundson - 2011-08-03 - accessed 2011-10-01