Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | 1942 Scotland, Indiana, U.S. |
Died | August 31, 2020 Maryville, Illinois, U.S. |
Alma mater | Texas Wesleyan ('64) |
Playing career | |
1960–1962 | Vincennes University |
1962–1964 | Texas Wesleyan |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1969–1984 | Madison High School (IL) Trijans |
1984–1992 | SIU Edwardsville |
unk. | Oakville High School Lions |
unk. | Florissant Valley Community College Fury |
unk. | Lindenwood Lions (men's asst.) |
unk. | Lindenwood Lions (women's asst.) |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 806 wins |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
IHSA Class A 1977, 1981 | |
Awards | |
IHSA Class A Coach of the Year (1977 & 1981) Named one of “100 Legends of Illinois High School Basketball Tournament” (2007) Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1994) Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2006) Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (2012) St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame (2018) | |
Larry Graham was an American college basketball coach and the former men's head coach at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). He remains the SIUE leader in both total wins and winning percentage. [1]
Young Larry "Buddy" Graham of Scotland, Indiana played at tiny Odon High School (since consolidated into North Daviess Junior-Senior High School) in nearby Odon, Indiana. He set records at Odon High School for most career points (1,387) and rebounds (929), and helped lead the Bulldogs to their first-ever sectional and regional championships. Odon lost to New Albany in the quarterfinals of Indiana's single-division state tournament. The loss came in Indiana's last game played with a sudden death ending. [2] [3]
Graham played in college for Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana, and then for Texas Wesleyan University in Ft. Worth. [2]
After several seasons as an assistant high school coach in Indiana and Illinois, in 1969, Graham was named the head coach at Madison High School in Madison, Illinois. In fifteen seasons under Coach Graham, the Madison Trojans won 312 games versus only 103 loses. The school won the Illinois High School Association Class A State Championship in 1977 and 1981--- the second title coming the year after a fourth place finish. [4] He was named Illinois Class A coach of the year in both championship seasons. [5] Graham's Trojans played their way into the eight-team State Finals five times. [2] They won 24 games or more eight times in Graham's fifteen seasons, [4] and they won nine straight Class A regional titles from 1975–76 through 1983–84. [6]
In 1981, SIUE had hired Tom Pugliese to build its program toward moving to Division I. While going 17–40 in two seasons, Pugliese and his staff committed so many violations of NCAA rules that the university took the almost unheard of action of suspending the program for at least the 1982–83 season. [4]
In 1984, Graham left Madison to coach Florissant Valley Community College. However, when SIUE announced the return of its program, Graham applied for and was hired as head coach. (He would later return to coach Flo Valley.) [2]
A 7–21 inaugural season was highlighted by the December 1984 opening of the Vadalabene Center, which remains as the home of SIUE basketball. Graham's Cougars were 23–7 in 1985–86 and advanced to the school's first NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament. That was the first of what became seven consecutive winning seasons under Graham and eight overall. The Cougars advanced to the NCAA Tournament again in 1987 and 1989. Under Coach Graham, the Cougars won 147 games while losing only 84, a winning percentage of 63.6%. Graham's win total and winning percentage remain as the best in the SIUE men's basketball program's history. [4]
After Graham stepped down at SIUE, he did not stay out of coaching. He served as head coach at Oakville (MO) High School and at Florissant Valley Community College, adding another 347 wins to his record. [5] Late in his career, Graham served as an assistant coach to both the men's and women's basketball teams at Lindenwood University. [4]
As a player or coach, Larry Graham was inducted into halls of fame in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. [5]
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SIU Edwardsville Cougars (Division II Independent)(1984–1992) | |||||||||
1984–85 | SIU Edwardsville | 7–21 | — | — | |||||
1985–86 | SIU Edwardsville | 23–7 | — | — | 1986 NCAA Division II Regional Runner-up | ||||
1986–87 | SIU Edwardsville | 23–7 | — | — | 1987 NCAA Division II Regional Runner-up | ||||
1987–88 | SIU Edwardsville | 19–9 | — | — | |||||
1988–89 | SIU Edwardsville | 23–7 | — | — | 1987 NCAA Division II Regional 3rd | ||||
1989–90 | SIU Edwardsville | 21–8 | — | — | |||||
1990–91 | SIU Edwardsville | 16–12 | — | — | |||||
1991–92 | SIU Edwardsville | 15–13 | — | — | |||||
SIU Edwardsville: | 147–84 (.636) | ||||||||
Total: | 147–84 (.636) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
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The SIU Edwardsville Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), located in Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. The Cougars' athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level. The SIUE mascot is Eddie the Cougar #57, and the school colors are red and white. Cougar teams have won seventeen NCAA national championships in five sports.
Alicia DeShasier McConnell is an American track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She won the gold medal in the event at the 2011 Pan American Games.
The SIU Edwardsville Cougars women's basketball team represents Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) in the Ohio Valley Conference of NCAA Division I basketball. The Cougars play their home matches at the Sam M. Vadalabene Center located in the SIUE core campus in Edwardsville, Illinois.
The SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's soccer team represents Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) of NCAA Division I soccer. The Cougars play their home matches on Bob Guelker Field at Ralph Korte Stadium located in the southwest corner of the SIUE campus in Edwardsville, Illinois.
The SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represents Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) in the Ohio Valley Conference of NCAA Division I basketball. The Cougars play their home matches at the Sam M. Vadalabene Center located in the SIUE core campus in Edwardsville, Illinois.
Paula Jean Buscher is an American college basketball coach, previously the women's head coach at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Edwardsville, Illinois. The SIU Edwardsville Cougars are members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and compete in the NCAA's Division I.
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The 2014–15 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by eighth year head coach Lennox Forrester, played their home games at the Vadalabene Center as members of the West Division of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 12–16, 8–8 in OVC play to finish in fourth place in the West Division. They lost in the first round of the OVC tournament to Eastern Illinois.
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The 2015–16 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by first year head coach Jon Harris, played their home games at the Vadalabene Center as members of the West Division of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They finished the season 6–22, 3–13 in OVC play to finish in fifth place in the west division. They failed to qualify for the OVC tournament.
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.
The 2018–19 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's basketball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by fourth-year head coach Jon Harris, played their home games at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They finished the season 10–21, 6–12 in OVC play, to finish in a four-way tie for seventh place. As the No. 8 seed, they lost in the first round of the OVC tournament to Morehead State.
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