Don DeVoe

Don DeVoe
Sport(s) Basketball
Biographical details
Born December 31, 1941
Playing career
19621964 Ohio State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
19651971
19711976
19761978
19781989
19891990
19922004
Army (Assistant)
Virginia Tech
Wyoming
Tennessee
Florida
Navy
Head coaching record
Overall 512389 (.568)
Accomplishments and honors

Awards

Patriot League Coach of the Year
SEC Coach of the Year (1979, 1981, 1982)

Donald E. DeVoe (born December 31, 1941) is a former American college basketball coach and former player. DeVoe played college basketball for Ohio State University, and later served as the head coach for Virginia Tech, the University of Wyoming, the University of Tennessee, the University of Florida and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Early life and playing career

DeVoe grew up in the small town of Port William, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where he played for coach Fred Taylor's Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team from 1962 to 1964. He was a member of the 1962 Buckeyes team that lost to the Cincinnati Bearcats in the final game of the NCAA Tournament, as well as the Buckeyes' Big Ten Conference champion teams of 1963 and 1964.

Coaching career

DeVoe's Buckeyes teammates included Bob Knight, under whom he served as an assistant coach, from 1965 to 1971, while Knight led the Army Black Knights men's basketball team.[1] Knight left Army to become the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team in 1971, and DeVoe was offered the head coach position at Virginia Tech.

While coaching the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team, DeVoe led the Hokies to a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) title in 1973,[2] as well as an NCAA tournament appearance in 1976. Playing an independent schedule, DeVoe's Hokies compiled an 8845 record in five seasons from 1971 to 1976. From 1976 to 1978, DeVoe led the Wyoming Cowboys basketball program.

From 1978 to 1989, DeVoe was the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball team. In eleven seasons in Knoxville, he compiled a 204137 record. DeVoe's Volunteers teams emphasized hustle, team play and man-to-man defense.[3][4] He led the Volunteers to their first ever NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1981, where they lost to top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers. In his final season at Tennessee in 198889, he led the Vols to a 1911 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance.[5]

In the aftermath of NCAA infractions that led the University of Florida to demand head coach Norm Sloan's resignation before the start of the 198990 season,[6] DeVoe became the interim head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team shortly after retiring as head coach of Tennessee.[7] The Gators were a talented team beset by personality problems, and DeVoe later described his acceptance of the job on an interim basis as a "mistake" that left him without authority to fix the program's more serious issues.[5] He publicly clashed with the Gators' temperamental star center Dwayne Schintzius when DeVoe attempted to impose a new conditioning program and a measure of team discipline.[8] Schintzius quit mid-season, ostensibly over DeVoe's demand that he get a haircut,[5] and the Gators finished 721 overall and 315 in the SEC. After he was let go by Florida, he was succeeded by Lon Kruger.

DeVoe served as the head coach of the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team from 1992 to 2004. He led the Midshipmen to a 182155 record, a 263 record against arch-rival Army, five Patriot League regular season titles, three Patriot League tournament titles, and three NCAA Tournament appearances in twelve seasons. DeVoe was named Patriot League Coach of the Year three times.

In his thirty-one season career as a college basketball head coach, DeVoe led three different teams to the NCAA tournament, and posted an overall win-loss record of 512389 (.568).

Personal

DeVoe and his wife Ana have two childrena son, Elliott, and a daughter, AnaLise. He is currently a member of the NIT selection committee.

Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Virginia Tech Hokies (Independent) (1971–1976)
197172 Virginia Tech 1610
197273 Virginia Tech 225 NIT Championship
197374 Virginia Tech 1313
197475 Virginia Tech 1610
197576 Virginia Tech 217 NCAA 1st Round
Virginia Tech: 8845
Wyoming Cowboys (Western Athletic Conference) (1976–1978)
197677 Wyoming 1710 86 T3rd
197778 Wyoming 1215 311 7th
Wyoming: 2925 1117
Tennessee Volunteers (Southeastern Conference) (1978–1989)
197879 Tennessee 2112 126 2nd NCAA 2nd Round
197980 Tennessee 1811 126 T3rd NCAA 2nd Round
198081 Tennessee 218 126 3rd NCAA Sweet 16
198182 Tennessee 2010 135 T1st NCAA 2nd Round
198283 Tennessee 2012 99 T4th NCAA 2nd Round
198384 Tennessee 2114 99 6th NIT 3rd Round
198485 Tennessee 2215 810 T8th NIT Semifinals/NIT 3rd Place
198586 Tennessee 1216 513 8th
198687 Tennessee 1415 711 T9th
198788 Tennessee 1613 99 6th NIT 1st Round
198889 Tennessee 1911 117 T4th NCAA 1st Round
Tennessee: 204137 10791
Florida Gators (Southeastern Conference) (1989–1990)
198990 Florida 721 315 10th
Florida: 721 315
Navy Midshipmen (Patriot League) (1992–2004)
199293 Navy 819 59 5th
199394 Navy 1713 95 T1st NCAA 1st Round
199495 Navy 209 104 3rd
199596 Navy 1512 93 T1st
199697 Navy 209 102 1st NCAA 1st Round
199798 Navy 1911 102 T1st NCAA 1st Round
199899 Navy 207 93 2nd
199900 Navy 236 111 T1st
200001 Navy 1912 93 2nd
200102 Navy 1020 59 7th
200203 Navy 820 410 7th
200304 Navy 523 212 8th
Navy: 184161 9363
Total: 512389

      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

References

  1. Alexander Wolff, "Look Who's Gone Forth And Multiplied," Sports Illustrated (November 20, 1985). Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  2. Pat Putnam, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Tech?" Sports Illustrated (April 2, 1973). Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  3. Ralph Wiley, "Tennessee," Sports Illustrated (November 29, 1982). Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  4. Ralph Wiley, "He's a Formidable Forward," Sports Illustrated (December 13, 1982). Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mike Bianchi, "Two decades later, Don DeVoe has a message for cancer-stricken Dwayne Schintzius," Orlando Sentinel (March 11, 2010). Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  6. Associated Press, "Florida Coach Retires At School's Request," The New York Times (November 1, 1989). Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  7. William F. Reed, "SEC," Sports Illustrated (November 20, 1989). Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  8. William F. Reed, "College Report," Sports Illustrated (December 11, 1989). Retrieved February 7, 2011.

Bibliography