Ted Owens (basketball) facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 16, 1929 Hollis, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma |
| Playing career | |
| 1948–1951 | Oklahoma |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1956–1960 | Cameron Junior College |
| 1960–1964 | Kansas (assistant) |
| 1964–1983 | Kansas |
| 1985–1987 | Oral Roberts |
| 1989–1990 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 1990–1995 | Metro Christian Academy HS |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1995–1999 | Saint Leo University |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 369–218 (.628) |
| Tournaments | 8–9 (NCAA Division I) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
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| Awards | |
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Ted Owens (born July 16, 1929) is a famous American former college basketball coach. He was born in Hollis, Oklahoma. Coach Owens is best known for leading the University of Kansas men's basketball team from 1964 to 1983. He is the fourth-winningest coach in the history of Jayhawks basketball.
Contents
Early Days and First Coaching Jobs
Ted Owens went to college at the University of Oklahoma (OU). He played basketball there for three years. After graduating in 1951, he started his coaching career.
In 1956, Owens became a coach at Cameron Junior College in Lawton, Oklahoma. He coached both baseball and basketball. His baseball team won a national championship in 1958. His basketball team had an amazing record of 93 wins and only 24 losses. They also played in three national junior college tournaments.
In 1960, Owens became an assistant coach for the Kansas Jayhawks. He worked under head coach Dick Harp. When Coach Harp left in 1964, Ted Owens became the head coach.
Coaching the Kansas Jayhawks
Coach Owens led the Kansas Jayhawks for 19 seasons, from 1964 to 1983. His teams won 348 games and lost 182. This means they won about 65.7% of their games!
Under Coach Owens, the Jayhawks won six Big Eight Conference titles. They also played in the NCAA Tournament seven times. His teams reached the Final Four in 1971 and 1974. In 1968, they were runners-up in the National Invitation Tournament.
Coach Owens was recognized for his great work. He was named Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year five times. In 1978, Basketball Weekly named him the National Coach of the Year. He coached many talented players who became All-Americans, including Jo Jo White and Darnell Valentine.
Other Coaching Adventures
After leaving Kansas, Coach Owens continued to coach. He worked at Oral Roberts University from 1985 to 1987. Then, he coached a professional team in Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C., during the 1989–90 season.
From 1990 to 1995, he coached high school basketball. He was the development director and basketball coach at Metro Christian Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His teams won their district championship five times. They also made it to the state tournament three times.
Later, he became the athletic director at St. Leo University in Florida. He worked there for four years.
Awards and Retirement
Ted Owens has been honored for his contributions to sports. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. In the same year, he also joined the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
After his time at St. Leo, Coach Owens worked as an investment adviser for ten years. He then retired and continued to live in Tulsa. In 2011, he returned to Lawrence for a special game. It was called the "Legends of the Phog" exhibition match. He coached one of the teams, playing against a team coached by Larry Brown. This was a fun event for Kansas basketball fans.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
