Kurt Budke facts for kids
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 3, 1961 Salina, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | November 17, 2011 (aged 50) Perryville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Barton County Community College Washburn University Wichita State University |
| Playing career | |
| 1979–1981 | Barton County CC |
| 1981–1983 | Washburn |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1983–1984 | Washburn (men's GA) |
| 1984–1988 | Friends (men's asst.) |
| 1988–1991 | Kansas City Kansas CC (men's asst.) |
| 1990–1991 | Kansas City Kansas CC (interim HC) |
| 1991–1993 | Allen County CC |
| 1993–2000 | Trinity Valley CC |
| 2000–2002 | Louisiana Tech (assoc. HC) |
| 2002–2005 | Louisiana Tech |
| 2005–2011 | Oklahoma State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 468–157 (.749) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4x NJCAA Women's Basketball Champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999) 7x Texas East Conference Champion (1994–2000) 3x WAC Champion (2003, 2004, 2005) 2x WAC Tournament Champion (2003, 2004) |
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| Awards | |
| All-KJCCC (1981) KJCCC East Coach of the Year (1993) 2x WBCA NJCAA Coach of the Year (1995, 1998) 4x Texas Coaches Association Coach of the Year (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999) 2x WAC Coach of the Year (2003, 2004) NJCAA Hall of Fame Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Barton Community College Hall of Fame |
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| Women's Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Kurt John Budke (born June 3, 1961 – died November 17, 2011) was a famous American college basketball coach. He was honored by being added to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. His last coaching job was leading the Oklahoma State Cowgirls basketball women's team. He coached them from 2005 until he passed away in a plane accident.
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Kurt Budke's Amazing Coaching Journey
Before becoming the head coach for Oklahoma State's women's basketball team in 2005, Coach Budke had a fantastic career at several colleges. He coached at places like Allen County Community College, Trinity Valley Community College, and Louisiana Tech.
Success at Junior Colleges
At the junior college level, his teams were incredibly successful. They won 20 or more games every single year he coached there. His overall record at this level was 273 wins and only 31 losses. This is one of the highest winning percentages in the history of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
He was even named the NJCAA Coach of the Year twice, in 1995 and 1998. He also became the youngest coach ever to be inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame. This shows how talented he was at a young age!
Leading Louisiana Tech
From 2002 to 2005, Coach Budke led the Louisiana Tech team. During his time there, his teams won 80 games and lost only 16. They even made it to the NCAA tournament three years in a row!
His first Louisiana Tech team had an amazing season, finishing with 31 wins and only 3 losses. They were ranked 6th nationally. The Lady Techsters also won 29 games in a row, which was one of the longest winning streaks in the school's history. For his great work, he was named the WAC Coach of the Year.
Coaching the Oklahoma State Cowgirls
In 2005, Kurt Budke became the head coach for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls women's basketball team. In his five years there, his teams won 99 games and made it to the NCAA tournament three times.
One of the biggest highlights was in 2008 when his team made it to the "Sweet 16" round of the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. This is a huge achievement in college basketball!
A Sad Loss
On November 17, 2011, Kurt Budke was traveling for a basketball recruiting trip. Sadly, the small plane he was in crashed near Perryville, Arkansas. All four people on board, including Coach Budke, passed away.
The pilot was Olin Branstetter, a former state senator and an Oklahoma State graduate. Also on the plane were assistant coach Miranda Serna and Olin's wife, Paula. Coach Budke left behind his wife and three children.
