Elwood Plummer facts for kids

Elwood Plummer was a basketball coach and player from America. He coached the Prairie View A&M Panthers basketball team. He was their head coach for two periods: from 1973 to 1979, and again from 1990 to 2002.

Elwood Plummer's Playing Days

Elwood Plummer grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He went to Wheatley High School. There, he played on the basketball team. In his last year, he scored about 28 points in every game!

After high school, Plummer went to San Antonio College for two years. He was an amazing scorer there. In his second year, he led the Texas Junior College Athletic Association in scoring. He averaged almost 30 points per game! He was also named the league's most valuable player.

Plummer then moved to play for the Jackson State Tigers. He became one of the best guards in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). He finished his college studies at Jackson State University in 1966.

Plummer's Coaching Career Begins

Plummer started his coaching career at St. Philip's College in San Antonio. He coached there for two seasons. During that time, his team won 41 games and lost 19.

In 1969, he went back to the Jackson State Tigers team. This time, he was an assistant coach, helping Paul Covington. In 1972, Plummer became the head coach for the Wiley College basketball team. In his only season there, his team won 20 games and lost 8. They also won the state tournament!

Coaching the Prairie View A&M Panthers

On August 25, 1973, Plummer was named the head coach of the Prairie View A&M Panthers. He was only 28 years old, making him the youngest head coach in the SWAC. His teams had winning records from 1973 to 1979.

After that, Plummer coached the Huston–Tillotson University men's basketball team. He led them from 1979 to 1988. He also worked as the associate athletic director at Huston–Tillotson from 1988 to 1990.

Plummer returned to Prairie View A&M in April 1990. However, the university stopped its basketball program just one month later. Luckily, it was brought back in July 1990. But there were very few players left, and no money for scholarships.

Because of this, Plummer had to find players who had good grades for academic scholarships. He also looked for players who needed financial help. During the 1991–92 season, the Panthers had a tough year. They lost all 28 of their games. This set an NCAA Division I record for the most losses in a season.

Plummer's best success with the Panthers came during the 1997–98 season. His team won their first SWAC tournament title. They even played in the 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

On March 10, 2002, Plummer and his coaching staff were let go by Prairie View A&M. His total record with the Panthers was 153 wins and 377 losses. Plummer went back to Huston–Tillotson in 2010. He coached there until he left in 2013.

In 2006, Elwood Plummer was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame.