Ray Meyer facts for kids
Meyer from the 1970 DePaulian
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1913 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 17, 2006 (aged 92) Wheeling, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1930-1932 | St. Patrick Academy |
| 1935–1938 | Notre Dame |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1942–1984 | DePaul |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1945–1974 | DePaul |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 724–354 |
| Tournaments | 14–16 (NCAA Division I) 10–8 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 NCAA Regional—Final Four (1943, 1979) NIT (1945) |
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| Awards | |
| 2× AP Coach of the Year (1980, 1984) 2x Henry Iba Award (1978, 1980) NABC Coach of the Year (1979) 2× UPI Coach of the Year (1980, 1984) |
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| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1979 (profile) |
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| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
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Raymond Joseph Meyer (born December 18, 1913 – died March 17, 2006) was a famous American basketball coach. He was from Chicago, Illinois. Meyer is best known for coaching the DePaul University basketball team. He coached them for a very long time, from 1942 to 1984. During his time, his teams won 724 games and lost 354.
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Ray Meyer's Coaching Journey
Ray Meyer was a very successful basketball coach. He led the DePaul Blue Demons to 21 post-season tournaments. These included 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. They also played in eight NIT events.
Winning Seasons and Big Tournaments
Meyer's teams had 37 winning seasons. They also had twelve seasons where they won 20 or more games. Seven of these 20-win seasons happened in a row, from 1978 to 1984. Two of his teams made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. This happened in 1943 and again in 1979. In 1945, Meyer led DePaul to win the National Invitation Tournament. This was the school's only major post-season title.
Coaching Famous Players
Coach Meyer worked with a College All-Star team. They played against the famous Harlem Globetrotters for 11 years. One of the best players Meyer ever coached was George Mikan. Mikan was a game-changing player. He was known as basketball's first great "big man." Meyer found Mikan at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary. Meyer himself had attended that school earlier.
Other top players coached by Meyer became NBA stars. These included Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings. During Meyer's time, the basketball games between DePaul and Loyola were very exciting. Ray Meyer was a much-loved person in Chicago. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Meyer's Last Game and Family Legacy
Ray Meyer's final game as a head coach was on March 23, 1984. His DePaul team lost a close game in overtime. It was against Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament.
Two of Meyer's sons also became college basketball coaches. Tom Meyer coached at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His other son, Joey Meyer, took over as head coach at DePaul after his father retired. Joey coached DePaul until 1997.
Summer Camp and Later Life
Ray Meyer also ran a popular summer basketball camp. It was located near Three Lakes in northern Wisconsin. Many young players learned from him there.
Meyer passed away on March 17, 2006. He was 92 years old. He died in Wheeling, Illinois.
See also
- Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
- List of college men's basketball coaches with 600 wins
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
