Bruce Drake

Bruce Drake
Sport(s) Basketball
Biographical details
Born December 5, 1905
Died December 4, 1983 (aged 77)
Playing career
1926–1929 Oklahoma
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1938–1955 Oklahoma
Head coaching record
Overall 200–182(.524)
Tournaments 4–3(.571)
Accomplishments and honors

Championships

Big Six Championship (1939, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1947)
Big Seven Championship (1949)
NCAA Runner-up (1947)
NCAA Final Four (1939)

Awards

1929 Helms Foundation All-American
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1973 (profile)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Bruce Drake (December 5, 1905 – December 4, 1983) was a college men's basketball coach. The Gentry, Texas native was head coach at the University of Oklahoma between 1938 and 1955, compiling a 200-181 record. He also coached the Air Force team to a 34-14 record in 1956

Prior to coaching, he was also a star for Hugh McDermott's Oklahoma team. He was a 1928-29 Helms Foundation All American.

As a coach Drake made 2 Final Fours the first one in 1939 Where they lost to Oregon 55-37 and in 1947 where he lost in the Championship Game to Holy Cross 58-47. He made 1 more additional NCAA tournament appearance in 1943 though he coached at a time when only 8 team made the tournament. In all he won or tied for 6 NCAA conference championships (Big Six and Big Seven).

He coached 5 Olympic (Wayne Glasgow and Marcus Freiberger of University of Oklahoma, 1952; Bill Evans, Ron Tomsic and Gib Ford of Air Force team, 1956) and three All-Americans (Jimmy McNatt, 1940; Gerald Tucker, 1943, 1947; Allie Paine, 1944)

Drake was selected as the assistant coach for the 1956 USA Men's Basketball Gold Medal Olympic Team [1]

In 1958 he coached the Wichita Vickers in the National Industrial Basketball League getting 30-21 record tying him for first with his old player Gerald Tucker who was coaching the Bartlesville Phillips 66ers.

lasting contributions Drake developed the Shuffle offense. He helped make goal tending illegal. He was the Chairman of the NCAA Rules Committee from 1951–55

He made the Basketball Hall of Fame as a Coach in 1973

Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Oklahoma (Big Six Conference) (1938–1947)
1938–39 Oklahoma 12-9 7-3 T-1st NCAA Final Four
1939–40 Oklahoma 12-7 8-2 T-1st
1940–41 Oklahoma 6-12 5-5 4th
1941–42 Oklahoma 11-7 8-2 T-1st
1942–43 Oklahoma 18-9 7-3 2nd NCAA Elite Eight
1943–44 Oklahoma 15-8 9-1 T-1st
1944–45 Oklahoma 12-13 5-5 T-3rd
1945–46 Oklahoma 11-10 7-3 2nd
1946–47 Oklahoma 24-7 8-2 1st NCAA Runner-up
Oklahoma (Big Seven Conference) (1947–1955)
1947–48 Oklahoma 13-9 7-5 T-2nd
1948–49 Oklahoma 14-10 9-3 T–1st
1949–50 Oklahoma 12-10 6-6 T-4th
1950–51 Oklahoma 14-10 6-6 4th
1951–52 Oklahoma 7-17 4-8 T-4th
1952–53 Oklahoma 8-13 5-7 T–4th
1953–54 Oklahoma 8-13 4–8 6th
1954–55 Oklahoma 3-18 1-11 7th
Oklahoma: 200–182 (.524) 106–80(.570)
Total: 200–182(.524)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References

External links