Billy Tubbs facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 5, 1935 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | November 1, 2020 (aged 85) Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Lamar Tech (B.A.) Stephen F. Austin (M.A.) |
| Playing career | |
| 1953–1955 | Lon Morris JC |
| 1955–1957 | Lamar Tech |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1960–1971 | Lamar Tech (assistant) |
| 1971–1973 | Southwestern (TX) |
| 1973–1976 | North Texas (assistant) |
| 1976–1980 | Lamar |
| 1980–1994 | Oklahoma |
| 1994–2002 | TCU |
| 2003–2006 | Lamar |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2002–2011 | Lamar |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 641–340 |
| Tournaments | 18–12 (NCAA Division I) 11–6 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA Division I Regional—Final Four (1988) 2 Southland regular season (1979, 1980) 4 Big Eight regular season (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988) 3 Big Eight tournament (1985, 1988, 1990) WAC regular season (1998) |
|
| Awards | |
| 2x Southland Coach of the Year (1978, 1980) 4× Big Eight Coach of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988, 1989) WAC Coach of the Year (1998) |
|
Billy Duane Tubbs (born March 5, 1935 – died November 1, 2020) was a famous American college basketball coach. He was known for his exciting, high-scoring teams and his strong defensive play. Coach Tubbs led teams at Lamar University, the University of Oklahoma, and Texas Christian University (TCU).
Tubbs achieved many great things during his coaching career. He became one of only a few coaches in NCAA history to win 100 games at three different schools. He also became the 28th coach in NCAA Division I history to reach 600 wins!
Early Life and College Days
Billy Tubbs was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but he grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He went to Central High School in Tulsa. Later, he played basketball at Lamar State College of Technology (now Lamar University) in Beaumont, Texas. He played for Lamar Tech from 1955 to 1957.
Coaching Career Highlights
Billy Tubbs started his coaching journey as an assistant coach at Lamar Tech from 1960 to 1971. His first job as a head coach was at Southwestern University from 1971 to 1973. He then spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of North Texas. There, he helped turn a team that had won only 6 games into one that won 22 games in a single season!
After that success, Tubbs became the head coach at Lamar University in 1976. He coached for 31 years in total, winning 641 games and losing 340. That's a winning record of 65.3%! He led 12 of his teams to the NCAA tournament and six teams to the National Invitation Tournament. His teams also won eight conference championships.
One of his most famous coaching periods was at the University of Oklahoma from 1980 to 1994. He led the Sooners to the NCAA Tournament championship game in 1988, where they finished as runner-up. He also guided them to the National Invitation Tournament finals in 1991. Coach Tubbs won 333 games at Oklahoma, which is the most wins for any coach in that school's history. He was even named National Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985.
In 2002, Tubbs returned to Lamar University, this time as the Director of Athletics. A year later, he also took on the role of head basketball coach for a second time. He coached Lamar until 2006, then continued as Athletic Director until 2010. He retired in 2011.
To honor his amazing career, Lamar University dedicated its basketball court as the "Billy & Pat Tubbs Court" on February 19, 2011. This was named after Billy and his wife, Pat.
Later Life and Legacy
Billy Tubbs passed away on November 1, 2020, in Norman, Oklahoma, at the age of 85. He had been battling leukemia for five years. He is remembered as a coach who brought excitement and success to college basketball, especially with his fast-paced, high-scoring teams.
See also
- List of college men's basketball coaches with 600 wins
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
