Harry Statham

Last updated
Harry Statham
Biographical details
Born (1937-05-30) May 30, 1937 (age 87)
Brookport, Illinois, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1966–2018 McKendree
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1966–2010 McKendree
Head coaching record
Overall1,122–513

Harry Statham (born May 30, 1937) is a former American basketball coach. He is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Basketball Hall of Fame. His 1,122 wins during his 52 seasons at McKendree University of Lebanon, Illinois, are third-most by any men's or women's basketball head coach at a four-year college or university in the United States. This includes any and all levels or divisions of the NCAA and NAIA. The only other coaches at a four-year school with 1,000 or more wins are Pat Summitt, Danny Miles, Mike Krzyzewski, Herb Magee, Tara VanDerveer, Geno Auriemma, Jim Boeheim, and Sylvia Hatchell.

Contents

On March 7, 2012, Statham was named as one of the coaches on the NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team. [1]

Early years

Statham was born on May 30, 1937, in Brookport, Illinois. His father, Harry Statham Sr., died of pneumonia and was buried on the day Statham was born. Statham was raised by his mother and his grandfather, Rufus Dye, who encouraged his grandson to get an education and to not smoke or drink. [2]

Statham said of his mom, "[She] wanted me to get a college degree. I was raised so that reputation is so important, the family name, strength, honesty, trustworthiness, respectfulness, ambition." [3]

Statham graduated with a bachelor's degree from McKendree College in 1960. He then enrolled at the University of Illinois, where he served as a graduate assistant for the men's basketball and track teams. He earned a Master of Science degree in physical education from Illinois.

Family life

Statham is married to Rose Statham; they have no children, and live in Belleville, Illinois.

Coaching career

Junior high

Statham began his coaching career while an undergraduate student at McKendree. He guided the boys' basketball team at O'Fallon Junior High School in Illinois while taking college courses at night.

High school

From O'Fallon, Statham moved on to coach the varsity boys' basketball team for two seasons at Manito Forman High School (Manito, Illinois). His 1961-62 squad had a 9–16 record and his 1962-63 squad finished 10–13. Statham then moved on to Dwight Township High School (Dwight, Illinois) where he coached for three seasons from 1963 to 1966, posting a cumulative win–loss record of 24–45. [4]

McKendree University

In his tenure at McKendree, a member of the American Midwest Conference (AMC), Statham has led the Bearcats to post-season play 40 times in 46 seasons. Statham has coached McKendree to all 15 of its NAIA national men's basketball championship tournament berths, including five straight appearances from 1999-2004. Since his first season in 1966-67, Statham's teams have averaged nearly 23 wins per season. His teams have won 20 or more games 35 times. McKendree also ranks among the NAIA's top programs in terms of winning percentage over the past decade. [5]

Statham has had 70 players receive post-season accolades. Ten of those players have earned NAIA All-America honors. Eric Hobbie, the most recent All-American, garnered first-team NAIA Division I All-America honors in 2009-10 after earning second-team recognition in 2008-09. Additionally, Statham has coached three players who were drafted in the professional ranks: Paul Funkhouser, a supplemental pick of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association; Dale Haverman, a fifth-round pick of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1977; and Matt Laur, a fourth round pick of the National Basketball Development League (D-League) draft by the Columbus Riverdragons. Many McKendree athletes who Statham has coached have gone on to successful coaching careers on both the high school and collegiate levels. [6]

About his players, Statham said, "I always recruit the right kinds of players. We do not want thugs that play good basketball. We want them to be good, solid people. We don't want people that are going to flunk out. We want good people, good students and good basketball players—in that order." [7]

Regarding his coaching philosophy, Statham said, "We do things consistently well. Our program is sound. We're very team-oriented, and we've tried to sell that from the very beginning. When you play hard and play together and do things fundamentally sound, you're going to be competitive. Our primary focus is to play hard, play well and try to do it as a team." [8] Statham's on-court demeanor does not include yelling and ref-baiting [9] Said Statham, "I don't like the [television] color commentators (saying) how you gotta work the referee and draw a T. We're trying to play the right way. They're out there saying you've got to bend the rules, step out there a little bit. They turn me off, I really don't enjoy that." [10]

In addition to his coaching duties, from 1966 to May 2010, Statham served as the university's athletic director, and he is an assistant professor of health and human performance.

1987-88 team

This Bearcat squad opened the season with 22 straight victories en route to a school-record 35 wins and the university's first-ever NAIA Tournament berth. In the first round of the tournament, McKendree and its opponent Huron College (S.D.), scored a record 231 points, as the Bearcats triumphed 124–107. The combined point total set an NAIA Tournament record that stood until 2006.

1996-97 team

Statham led this team to a quarterfinal spot in the NAIA Tournament. The Bearcats defeated two higher-ranked opponents to reach the NAIA Elite Eight, the team's best-ever finish at the national tournament until the success of the 2002-03 team.

2002-03 team

McKendree compiled a 34–4 overall record. A 10–0 mark in the AMC marked the first time that the Bearcats went undefeated in the league. At the 2003 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament, McKendree posted three victories to advance to the NAIA Final Four. The Bearcats lost to eventual national champions Concordia University (California) in the semi-finals. During the season, the Bearcats earned their first No. 1 ranking in the NAIA poll and entered the NAIA national tournament as the No. 2 seed, the highest seed ever for McKendree. The Bearcats also notched three winning streaks of at least 10 games during the season. Matt Laur was recognized as NAIA Player of the Year, the first McKendree athlete to earn the award in Division I. Laur also became the Bearcats’ all-time leading scorer in 2002-03.

2006-07 team

McKendree used a late-season surge and runner-up finish in the American Midwest Conference Tournament to earn its first NAIA Division I National Championship bid in three years. Statham guided the Bearcats to an overall record of 23–12 and an 8–4 mark in AMC regular-season play. In the 2007 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament, the Bearcats topped Mountain State (West Virginia) in the first round and lost and were eliminated in the second round by Faulkner University (Alabama).

2007-08 team

Statham entered the 2007-08 season with 938 coaching victories and as the all-time wins leader in men's college basketball history at the four-year level. He, Don Meyer, and Bob Knight were at the time the only men's basketball coaches at senior colleges or universities with 900 coaching wins.

This team finished the season with a 27–7 record. In the 2008 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament, the Bearcats beat Texas Wesleyan University in the first round and were eliminated in the second round by Campbellsville University.

2008-09 team

At the end of the 2009 season, Statham had won 995 games at McKendree, the most by any men's four-year college coach. The Bearcats won the AMC with a perfect 14-0 record in conference play. The 2008-2009 Bearcats finished 30-6 on the season and made it to the Elite 8 in the 2009 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament. They defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State University by a score of 83-58 in the first round, and defeated Texas Wesleyan University by a score of 87-75 in the second round. Then the Bearcats lost to MidAmerica Nazarene University in the Elite 8, by a score of 59-55.

Departure and Controversy

On Monday, March 5, 2018, after a 12-16 season, Statham was informed by the McKendree Athletic Director that the school was seeking either his retirement or resignation. The next day, the school announced that Statham's time as coach had ended. Soon after, Statham took to social media, posting ""The release that came out, from the school, implied I resigned or retired. That was not the case. I am getting phone calls and email from friends who thought I retired," and continued, "I said I did not want to retire and didn't want to retire. I said I wasn't a quitter, wanted to leave on a winning note or a winning season." [11]

Milestones

  1. On Nov. 15, 2002, Statham guided the Bearcats to an 88-87 victory against Mountain State, making him the NAIA's all-time leader in career victories with career win No. 817. [12]
  2. On Dec. 1, 2004, Statham led McKendree to an 83–72 victory over Maryville University, marking his 880th career win, pushing Statham past North Carolina head coach Dean Smith for the all-time wins record among college basketball coaches. [13]
  3. On Nov. 25, 2005, Statham reached the 900-win mark as the Bearcats defeated Freed-Hardeman University, 73–69.
  4. On January 12, 2008, Statham reached the 950-win mark as the Bearcats defeated Williams Baptist College, 98–73.
  5. On December 9, 2008, Statham won his 975th game, defeating Olivet Nazarene University 78-75 in overtime, and coached his 1,354th game, tying with former Mount St. Mary's coach Jim Phelan for the most games coached.
  6. On December 16, 2008, Statham won his 976th game, defeating Concordia Seminary and coached his 1,355 game surpassing former Mt. St. Mary coach Jim Phelan for the most games coached.
  7. On November 13, 2009, Statham collected his 1,000th win in McKendree's 79–49 win over East-West. [14]
  8. On January 28, 2016, Statham and the Bearcats posted a 92-85 triumph over the No. 21 Wisconsin-Parkside to collect win No. 1,098, which tied him with former University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt for the all-time wins record of any collegiate coach at the four-year level.

Honors

Statham has been named the NAIA-Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Men's Basketball Coach of the Year twelve times and in 1987 he was inducted into the IBCA-NAIA Hall of Fame. In 1998, Statham's career accomplishments and achievements were recognized with his induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame. Statham has received the American Midwest Conference Coach of the Year award eight different times, and he was a six-time recipient of the NAIA District 20 Coach of the Year.

He was selected as the 2001-02 NAIA Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.

In 2005, Statham was recognized at the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) national convention in St. Louis with the Guardians of the Game Leadership Award, an honor bestowed by his peers. That same summer, the United States Sports Academy presented him with its Distinguished Service Award, awarded annually, "... to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to national or international sports through education, research or service."

In 2006, the Lebanon City Council honored Statham by renaming a roadway on the McKendree campus, Harry Statham Way. The university's gymnasium, the Harry M. Statham Sports Center (capacity 1500), is also named for him.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Summitt</span> American basketball player and coach (1952–2016)

Patricia Susan Summitt was an American women's college basketball head coach who acquired 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. She served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geno Auriemma</span> Italian-born American womens basketball coach

Luigi "Geno" Auriemma is an American basketball coach who is the head coach of the UConn Huskies women's basketball team. Since becoming head coach in 1985, he has led UConn to 17 undefeated conference seasons, of which six were undefeated overall seasons, with 11 NCAA Division I national championships, the most in women's college basketball history, and has won eight national Naismith College Coach of the Year awards. Auriemma was the head coach of the United States women's national basketball team from 2009 through 2016, during which time his teams won the 2010 and 2014 World Championships, and gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, going undefeated in all four tournaments. Auriemma was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

McKendree University (McK), formerly McKendree College, is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois. Founded in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, it is the oldest college or university in Illinois. The school was renamed McKendree University beginning in the 2007–08 academic year. McKendree enrolls approximately 1,960 students representing 25 countries and 29 states. In the undergraduate program, on average there are 51% females and 49% males. The institution remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament</span> Edition of USA college basketball tournament

The 1992 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 6 in Minneapolis. A total of 63 games were played.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament</span> Edition of USA college basketball tournament

The 1999 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1999, and ended with the championship game on March 29 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. A total of 63 games were played. This Final Four was the first—and so far, only—to be held in a baseball-specific facility, as Tropicana Field is home to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Columbia College, also known as Columbia College of Missouri, is a private college based in Columbia, Missouri. Founded in 1851 as a nonsectarian college, it has retained a covenant with the Christian Church since its inception. In addition to its main campus, the college operates 34 "extended campuses" in 13 U.S. states and one in Cuba, with 18 of them on U.S. military bases. One third of Columbia's almost 10,000 students are associated with the U.S. military.

Mickie Faye DeMoss is a former American college basketball coach and player. She was the women's head coach at the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky. She was also an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech University, University of Tennessee, University of Texas, Auburn University, Memphis State University, and the WNBA's Indiana Fever. DeMoss was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 as a Contributor - Assistant Coach. She retired after 45 years of coaching basketball in some capacity in July 2022, while chief of staff for Georgia Tech women's basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Cougars men's basketball</span> American basketball team

The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, in the NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. They compete as members of the Big 12 Conference. The program has made six appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four, which is the most of any team who has not won a national championship.

The Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball program represents the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team competes in NCAA Division I as part of the Big 12 Conference. The Bearcats are currently coached by Wes Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Forrester (coach)</span> American basketball coach (1922–2008)

Harry Conway Forrester was an American basketball coach who led the way in integrating the sports teams of Quincy University in the racially segregated 1950s. When Quincy played at the NAIA national tournament in 1955, it was the only team with African American members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willamette Bearcats</span> Athletic teams of Willamette University

The Willamette Bearcats are the athletic teams of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Competing at the non-scholarship National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III level, the school fields twenty teams. Most teams compete in the Northwest Conference with their primary rivals being Linfield College. The main athletic venues of the school are McCulloch Stadium, Cone Field House, and Roy S. "Spec" Keene Stadium. Willamette moved to the NCAA's Division III in 1998 after previously being a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institution. The 1993, men's basketball team won the school's only team national championship, while the 1997 football team lost in the national championship game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball</span> American college basketball team

The Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team represents the Purple Aces of the University of Evansville, located in Evansville, Indiana, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Ford Center. Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s. In the 1920s, the name Aces arose after a local sports writer wrote in a game story of the men's basketball team, "They played like Aces." The team has been known as the Aces and/or Purple Aces ever since. Evansville has won five Division II national championships.

The Murray State Racers men's basketball program represents Murray State University in intercollegiate men's basketball. Murray State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), having joined that conference in 2022 after 74 seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers have played home games at the CFSB Center on their campus in Murray, Kentucky since 1998. Murray State made its 18th appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022. Five times the Racers advanced in the tournament, most recently by defeating the University of San Francisco in 2022. In 1988, Murray State defeated NC State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to eventual runner-up Butler in the second round.

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team, or UTRGV Vaqueros, represents the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas, United States. The school's team competed in the Southland Conference since the 2024–25 season. They play their home games at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. The Vaqueros are one of 45 Division I programs to have never appeared in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Panthers</span> Intercollegiate teams of University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Panthers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level, competing in the Horizon League for all sports since the 1994–95 season. A total of 13 Panthers athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I. The Panthers have won the James J. McCafferty Trophy as the Horizon League's all-sports champions seven times since 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKendree Bearcats</span> Athletic teams representing McKendree University

The McKendree Bearcats are the intercollegiate athletic programs that represent McKendree University, located in Lebanon, Illinois, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) as a provisional member since the 2012–13 academic year.

Danny Miles is a retired American basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Oregon Institute of Technology for 45 years from 1971 to 2016. Miles has led the Hustlin' Owls to three NAIA Division II National Championships. He achieved his 1,000th win on February 1, 2014, in his 43rd year of coaching at OIT. This is the fourth most of any men's college basketball coach all-time. The other coaches at a four-year school with 1,000 or more wins are: Harry Statham, coach of McKendree University, Mike Krzyzewski, coach of Duke University, Herb Magee, coach of Philadelphia University, and Dave Holmquist, coach of Biola University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by second year head coach Jon Harris, played their home games at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois as members of the West Division of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 6–24, 1–15 in OVC play to finish in last place in the West Division. They failed to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2018–19 Indiana State Sycamores basketball team represented Indiana State University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Sycamores, led by ninth-year head coach Greg Lansing, played their home games at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. They finished the season 15–16, 7–11 in MVC play to finish in a tie for eighth place. As the No. 8 seed in the MVC tournament, they lost to Valparaiso in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999–2000 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1999–2000 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team represented Saint Louis University in the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Billikens were led by head coach Lorenzo Romar who was in his first season at Saint Louis. The team played their home games at Scottrade Center. They were a member of Conference USA. The Billikens finished the season 19–14, 7–9 in C-USA play to finish 5th in the conference standings. They won the C-USA tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they were defeated by Utah in the opening round.

References

  1. ↑ "NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team". March 2012.
  2. ↑ Dodd
  3. ↑ Dodd
  4. ↑ http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum0429.htm Illinois HS Records
  5. ↑ "Head Coach Harry Statham."
  6. ↑ "Head Coach Harry Statham."
  7. ↑ Ellsworth
  8. ↑ Ellsworth
  9. ↑ Dodd
  10. ↑ Dodd
  11. ↑ "McKendree University's basketball coach benched after 50 years".
  12. ↑ Cummings, 15 Nov 2002
  13. ↑ Cummings, 1 Dec 2004
  14. ↑ "Statham joins Summitt in 1K win club". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 2009-11-14. Retrieved 2009-11-14.

Notes

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.