Phog Allen
Encyclopedia
Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen (November 18, 1885 – September 16, 1974) was an American basketball
and baseball
player, coach of American football
, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, and osteopathic physician. Known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching," he served as the head basketball coach at Baker University
(1905–1908), the University of Kansas
(1907–1909, 1919–1956), Haskell Institute—now Haskell Indian Nations University
(1908–1909), and Warrensburg Teachers College—now the University of Central Missouri
(1912–1919), compiling a career college basketball
record of 746–264. In his 39 seasons at the helm of the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program, his teams won 24 conference championships and three national titles. The Helms Athletic Foundation
retroactively recognized Allen's 1921–22 and 1922–23 Kansas teams as national champions. Allen's 1951–52 squad
won the 1952 NCAA Tournament
and his Jayhawks were runners-up in the NCAA Tournament in 1940
and 1953
. His 590 wins are the most of any coach in the storied history of the Kansas basketball program.
Allen attended the University of Kansas, where he lettered in basketball and baseball. He played basketball there under James Naismith
, the inventor of the game. Allen served as the head football coach at Warrensburg Teachers College from 1912 to 1917 and at Kansas for one season in 1920, amassing a career college football
record of 34–19–3. He also coached baseball at Kansas for two seasons, in 1941 and 1942, tallying a mark of 6–17–1, and was the university's athletic director from 1919 to 1937. Allen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1959. The home basketball arena at the University of Kansas, Allen Fieldhouse
, was named in his honor when it opened in 1955.
. His father, William Allen, was among the 30 people who originally incorporated Jameson, Missouri
in 1876 and the doctor who delivered Allen lived in Jameson. However, William Allen also had strong ties to Jamesport where he was town clerk, collector, and constable. Biographies of Allen usually refer to his birth place as Jamesport. His family later moved to Independence, Missouri
.
(then known as Independence High School) in Independence, Missouri
, the University of Kansas
, Baker University
, Haskell Institute
, and Warrensburg Teachers College
in Warrensburg, Missouri
.
Allen began classes at the University of Kansas
in 1904, where he lettered
three years in basketball under James Naismith's coaching, and two years in baseball
. In 1905 he also played for the Kansas City Athletic Club
.
At Kansas he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi
Fraternity
. Allen launched his coaching career at his alma mater
in 1907, but took a hiatus after graduating in 1909 to study osteopathic medicine. Known as “Doc” to his players and students, he was reputed to be a colorful figure on the University of Kansas
campus, coaching all sports and becoming known for his osteopathic manipulation techniques for ailing athletes. Allen was a legend in the field of treatment of athletic injuries and benefited a long list of high-profile performers. He also had a successful private osteopathic practice, and many he treated, the famous and otherwise, contend he had a "magic touch" for such ailments as bad backs, knees and ankles. He said he applied the same treatments to "civilians" as he did to his athletes.
His forceful, yet reasonable, disposition helped him become the driving force behind basketball becoming accepted as an official sport in the Olympics
in 1936
. Allen later coached in the 1952 Summer Olympics
, leading the United States to the gold medal
in Helsinki
, Finland.
He coached college basketball for 50 seasons, and compiled a 746–264 record, retiring with the all-time record for most coaching wins in college basketball
history at the time. During his tenure at Kansas, Allen coached Dean Smith
, Adolph Rupp
, Dutch Lonborg
, and Ralph Miller
, all future Hall of Fame
coaches. Among the Hall of Fame players he coached were Paul Endacott
, Bill Johnson
, and Clyde Lovellette. He also recruited Wilt Chamberlain
to Kansas, and even coached former United States Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole
. Allen Fieldhouse
, the basketball arena on the campus of the University of Kansas, is named in his honor. A banner that hangs in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse reads: "Pay heed all who enter, beware of the Phog." Phog Allen was enshrined as part of the inaugural class in the Basketball Hall of Fame
in 1959.
Allen also created the National Association of Basketball Coaches
, which went on to create the NCAA tournament.
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...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, coach of American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, and osteopathic physician. Known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching," he served as the head basketball coach at Baker University
Baker University
Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools...
(1905–1908), the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
(1907–1909, 1919–1956), Haskell Institute—now Haskell Indian Nations University
Haskell Indian Nations University
Haskell Indian Nations University is a tribal university located in Lawrence, Kansas, for members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States...
(1908–1909), and Warrensburg Teachers College—now the University of Central Missouri
University of Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri is a four-year public institution in Warrensburg, Missouri.- History :...
(1912–1919), compiling a career college basketball
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....
record of 746–264. In his 39 seasons at the helm of the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program, his teams won 24 conference championships and three national titles. The Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
retroactively recognized Allen's 1921–22 and 1922–23 Kansas teams as national champions. Allen's 1951–52 squad
1951–52 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
-NCAA tournament:*West**Kansas 68, TCU 64**Kansas 74, St Louis 55*Final Four**Kansas 74, Santa Clara 55**Kansas 80, St. Johns 63-Awards and honors:* Clyde Lovellette, NCAA Men's MOP Award-Team players drafted into the NBA:-See also:...
won the 1952 NCAA Tournament
1952 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....
and his Jayhawks were runners-up in the NCAA Tournament in 1940
1940 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1940 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the participating champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 20, 1940, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Kansas City, Missouri...
and 1953
1953 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1953 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 22 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 10, 1953, and ended with the championship game on March 18 in Kansas City, Missouri...
. His 590 wins are the most of any coach in the storied history of the Kansas basketball program.
Allen attended the University of Kansas, where he lettered in basketball and baseball. He played basketball there under James Naismith
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
, the inventor of the game. Allen served as the head football coach at Warrensburg Teachers College from 1912 to 1917 and at Kansas for one season in 1920, amassing a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 34–19–3. He also coached baseball at Kansas for two seasons, in 1941 and 1942, tallying a mark of 6–17–1, and was the university's athletic director from 1919 to 1937. Allen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the inaugural class of 1959. The home basketball arena at the University of Kansas, Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena, named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, who coached the university's men's basketball team for 39 years, is one of college basketball's most historically significant and prestigious buildings...
, was named in his honor when it opened in 1955.
Early life
Allen was born in the town of Jamesport, MissouriJamesport, Missouri
Jamesport is a city in Daviess County, Missouri, United States. The population was 505 at the 2000 census.Jamesport has the largest Amish community in the state of Missouri.-Notable natives:*Martha Scott - Academy Award nominated actress...
. His father, William Allen, was among the 30 people who originally incorporated Jameson, Missouri
Jameson, Missouri
Jameson is a village in Daviess County, Missouri, United States. The population was 120 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Jameson is located at ....
in 1876 and the doctor who delivered Allen lived in Jameson. However, William Allen also had strong ties to Jamesport where he was town clerk, collector, and constable. Biographies of Allen usually refer to his birth place as Jamesport. His family later moved to Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
.
Playing and coaching career
Allen coached at William Chrisman High SchoolWilliam Chrisman High School
William Chrisman High School is a high school located in Independence, Missouri as part of the Independence School District. The school was founded in 1888 and was originally known as Independence High School. The first building was located at the intersection of Pleasant and Truman Road, the...
(then known as Independence High School) in Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, Baker University
Baker University
Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools...
, Haskell Institute
Haskell Indian Nations University
Haskell Indian Nations University is a tribal university located in Lawrence, Kansas, for members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States...
, and Warrensburg Teachers College
University of Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri is a four-year public institution in Warrensburg, Missouri.- History :...
in Warrensburg, Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri
Warrensburg is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,340 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County. The Warrensburg Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Johnson County. It is home to the University of Central Missouri.-History:Warrensburg...
.
Allen began classes at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1904, where he lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
three years in basketball under James Naismith's coaching, and two years in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. In 1905 he also played for the Kansas City Athletic Club
Kansas City Athletic Club
The Kansas City Athletic Club is an athletic club and gentlemen's club in Kansas City, Kansas. Until 1997, it had been located across the Kansas River in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Notable members have included President Harry S. Truman and basketball coach Phog Allen.-Founding:The club was...
.
At Kansas he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
Fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Allen launched his coaching career 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:...
in 1907, but took a hiatus after graduating in 1909 to study osteopathic medicine. Known as “Doc” to his players and students, he was reputed to be a colorful figure on the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
campus, coaching all sports and becoming known for his osteopathic manipulation techniques for ailing athletes. Allen was a legend in the field of treatment of athletic injuries and benefited a long list of high-profile performers. He also had a successful private osteopathic practice, and many he treated, the famous and otherwise, contend he had a "magic touch" for such ailments as bad backs, knees and ankles. He said he applied the same treatments to "civilians" as he did to his athletes.
His forceful, yet reasonable, disposition helped him become the driving force behind basketball becoming accepted as an official sport in the Olympics
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 1936
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. Allen later coached in the 1952 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics was the third appearance of the sport. 23 nations entered the competition.The top six teams at the 1948 Summer Olympics qualified automatically, as did the 1950 World Champion , the top two at the 1951 European championships , and the host country...
, leading the United States to the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland.
He coached college basketball for 50 seasons, and compiled a 746–264 record, retiring with the all-time record for most coaching wins in college basketball
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....
history at the time. During his tenure at Kansas, Allen coached Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
, Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
, Dutch Lonborg
Dutch Lonborg
Arthur C. "Dutch" Lonborg was an American collegiate basketball and football coach.-Basketball:The Gardner, Illinois native coached for 23 years at McPherson College, Washburn College, and Northwestern University...
, and Ralph Miller
Ralph Miller
Ralph H. Miller was an American basketball coach. A native of Chanute, Kansas, Miller coached at the University of Wichita , the University of Iowa and Oregon State University , compiling a 657-382 overall record in 38 seasons combined...
, all future Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
coaches. Among the Hall of Fame players he coached were Paul Endacott
Paul Endacott
Paul Endacott was a well-known collegiate basketball player in the 1920s. The Lawrence, Kansas native attended University of Kansas from 1919 to 1923. Playing under Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen, Endacott led Kansas to consecutive Helms Foundation national championships in 1922 and 1923. In 1923...
, Bill Johnson
Skinny Johnson
William C. "Skinny" Johnson was a well-known American basketball player during the 1930s. As a 6-4 center Johnson was among the tallest players of his time. The Oklahoma City native attended the University of Kansas , where he was a three-year letterwinner under coach Phog Allen...
, and Clyde Lovellette. He also recruited Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
to Kansas, and even coached former United States Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
. Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena, named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, who coached the university's men's basketball team for 39 years, is one of college basketball's most historically significant and prestigious buildings...
, the basketball arena on the campus of the University of Kansas, is named in his honor. A banner that hangs in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse reads: "Pay heed all who enter, beware of the Phog." Phog Allen was enshrined as part of the inaugural class in the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
in 1959.
Allen also created the National Association of Basketball Coaches
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
, which went on to create the NCAA tournament.
Head coaching record
Football
Basketball
See also
- List of college men's basketball coaches with 600 wins
- List of NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coach
External links
- Phog Allen at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com