Tippy Dye facts for kids
c. 1966, at Nebraska
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 1, 1915 Harrisonville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 2012 (aged 97) Grass Valley, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Basketball | |
| 1935–1937 | Ohio State |
| Football | |
| 1935–1937 | Ohio State |
| 1937–1938 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Position(s) | Basketball: Guard Football: Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Basketball | |
| 1941–1942 | Brown |
| 1942–1943 | Ohio State (assistant) |
| 1946–1950 | Ohio State |
| 1950–1959 | Washington |
| Football | |
| 1941 | Brown (assistant) |
| 1942 | Ohio State (assistant) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1959–1962 | Wichita |
| 1962–1967 | Nebraska |
| 1967–1974 | Northwestern |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 220–132 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA Division I Regional — Final Four (1953) | |
William Henry Harrison "Tippy" Dye (born April 1, 1915 – died April 11, 2012) was an amazing American athlete, coach, and athletic director for college teams. He was known as "Tippy."
As a basketball head coach, Tippy Dye led the University of Washington team to a huge achievement. They reached the NCAA Final Four in 1953. This was the only time the Washington Huskies men's basketball team made it to the Final Four.
Later, as an athletic director, Dye helped build the famous University of Nebraska football program. He played a big part in their success during the 1960s.
Contents
Tippy Dye's College Sports Career
Tippy Dye was born in Harrisonville, Ohio. He started at Ohio State University in 1933. There, he became a star in three different sports for the Buckeyes.
Football Achievements
Dye earned three varsity letters playing football as a quarterback. He played in 1934, 1935, and 1936. His teams had great seasons, finishing with records of 7 wins and 1 loss in both 1934 and 1935.
He was the only Ohio State quarterback until 2006 to win three games in a row against the University of Michigan. This was a big deal because the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is very strong.
Basketball and Baseball Skills
Tippy Dye also played guard on the basketball team. He earned letters in basketball in 1935, 1936, and 1937. He was chosen as an All-Conference player in the Big Ten in 1936 and 1937. In 1937, he was even the team's captain.
Besides football and basketball, Dye also played baseball. He earned letters in baseball in 1935 and 1936.
Playing After College
After graduating, Dye played in the 1937 Chicago College All-Star Game. In this game, college players competed against the professional Green Bay Packers. The college team surprisingly beat the defending champion Packers 6–0. Dye then played for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1937.
Tippy Dye's Coaching Journey
After playing professionally for one year, Tippy Dye started his coaching career. He first coached at Grandview Heights High School from 1939 to 1941.
Early College Coaching Roles
In 1941, Dye became the coach at Brown University. He also worked as an assistant football coach there. The next year, he returned to Ohio State. He was an assistant coach for both the football and basketball teams.
During World War II, Dye served in the U.S. Navy for three years.
Success at Ohio State and Washington
After the war, Dye became the head basketball coach at his old school, Ohio State. He coached there from 1947 to 1950. In 1950, his Buckeyes team won the Big Ten title. They also reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA basketball tournament.
In 1950, Dye moved to the University of Washington in Seattle. He was the head coach there until 1959. His Washington teams won three Pacific Coast titles in a row from 1951 to 1953. They made it to the 1953 NCAA Final Four.
Dye's record with the Washington Huskies was 156 wins and 91 losses. This makes him the fourth winningest coach in the history of UW basketball.
Tippy Dye as an Athletic Director
Tippy Dye always wanted to work in sports administration. In 1959, he left coaching to become the athletic director at the University of Wichita.
Building Nebraska's Football Dynasty
After three years, he moved to the Big Eight Conference to work at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 1962. Before Dye arrived, the Nebraska football team wasn't doing very well.
Dye hired Bob Devaney as the new head football coach. Devaney coached for ten years and won two national championships. He later took over as athletic director when Dye left in 1967. Dye also hired Joe Cipriano, a player from his Final Four team at Washington, to coach basketball at Nebraska.
Retirement
Dye then moved to Northwestern University in 1967. He retired from his career in sports in 1974 and moved to Florida.
Why Was He Called "Tippy"?
Tippy Dye was named after William Henry Harrison. This was the ninth U.S. President. President Harrison had a famous campaign nickname, "Tippecanoe". This is where Tippy Dye got his own nickname, "Tippy."
His Final Years
Tippy Dye passed away in 2012 in Grass Valley, California. He was 97 years old. In his later years, he lived in California with his daughter. His wife passed away in 2001 after they had been married for 64 years. Tippy Dye was buried next to her in Pomeroy, Ohio.
Images for kids
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Tippy Dye in 1966
See also
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
