Bob Boyd (basketball) facts for kids
William Robert Boyd (born June 7, 1930 – died January 14, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. He led teams at Seattle University, the University of Southern California (USC), and Mississippi State University. Boyd was known for his strong connection to USC basketball, first as a player and later as a successful coach.
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Bob Boyd's Early Life and Playing Days
Bob Boyd was a talented basketball player for the University of Southern California. He played for three years, from 1950 to 1952. In his final year, 1952, he was named USC's most valuable player. This showed how important he was to his team.
Starting His Coaching Career
After playing, Boyd began his long coaching journey. He started by coaching high school teams for five years. He coached at El Segundo, California and Alhambra, California. Then, he moved on to coach at the junior college level for six years at Santa Ana College. His team there did very well, finishing second in the state tournament in 1959.
Boyd then became a college coach. His first college job was at Seattle University. He had a great record there, winning 41 games and losing only 13 in just two seasons (1964–1965).
Coaching at USC
After a short break where he worked for a shoe company, Boyd returned to coaching. He became the head coach for the USC basketball team in 1967. He stayed there for 13 years, until 1979. During his time at USC, his teams won 216 games and lost 131. They also played in important post-season tournaments four times. This included the 1979 NCAA tournament and the 1973 NIT.
One of Boyd's most famous teams was in 1971. That team won 24 games and lost only 2. They were even ranked as the fifth-best team in the country! At one point, they were ranked number one. Boyd also won 24 games in 1974.
Boyd's teams achieved big wins against their rival, UCLA. His wins in 1969 and 1970 were especially notable. They were the first times UCLA had lost in their new arena, Pauley Pavilion, which opened in 1966. Because of his success, Boyd was named the conference Coach of the Year twice. He also helped ten of his players go on to play in the NBA, including famous players like Paul Westphal and Gus Williams.
Later Coaching Years and Legacy
After leaving USC, Boyd continued coaching at other universities. He coached at Mississippi State University from 1982 to 1986. He also coached at Riverside Community College and Chapman University. Later, he worked as an assistant coach at LSU and Utah State University.
Bob Boyd was recognized for his contributions to basketball. He was inducted into the University of Southern California's Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Hall of Honor.
Boyd passed away peacefully on January 14, 2015, at the age of 84. Many people remember him as a very effective coach. Sports writer Steve Bisheff once said that Boyd was "the best USC basketball coach of the modern era." He coached during a time when another very famous coach, John Wooden, was also coaching in the same city.
