.jpg) Lemons as head coach at Texas | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1922-11-21)November 21, 1922 Ryan, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | September 2, 2002(2002-09-02) (aged 79) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1946–1947 | Hardin |
| 1947–1949 | Oklahoma City |
| Positions | Center,forward |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1955–1973 | Oklahoma City |
| 1973–1976 | Pan American |
| 1976–1982 | Texas |
| 1983–1990 | Oklahoma City |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 594–343 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NIT (1978) 2SWC regular season (1978, 1979) SAC regular season (1987) | |
| Awards | |
| NABC Coach of the Year (1978) SWC Coach of the Year (1978) | |
A.E. "Abe" Lemons (November 21, 1922 – September 2, 2002) was an Americancollege basketball player and coach. As a head coach atOklahoma City University,Pan American University and theUniversity of Texas at Austin, he compiled a record of 594–343 in 34 seasons.
Lemons was born inRyan, Oklahoma, and given the initials-only name "A.E."[1] He grew up in the town ofWalters, Oklahoma[2] and graduated from Walters High School in the spring of 1941.[1]
Lemons earned a basketball scholarship to play forSouthwestern Oklahoma Teachers College (now known as Southwestern Oklahoma State University).[3] and their long-time coach Rankin Williams.
After the United States enteredWorld War II in December 1941, Lemons joined theMerchant Marine.[1] He served in the Pacific and often referred to the pressures of his war experience to put sports into perspective.
After the war, Lemons enrolled atHardin College, which had just added a four-year senior college in 1946.[4] He was a 6-foot 4-inch center/forward for the Indians, who finished 4-15 under first-year head coach Fermon "Red" Rutledge,[5] during the 1946–47 season.[6]
In 1947, Lemons transferred toOklahoma City University (OCU) where he played two years for coachDoyle Parrack. In 1947–48, the Chiefs had an 18–13 record, which improved to 20–6 in 1948–49.
Lemons was hired in 1955 to coach at his alma mater. He would coach the program until 1973 in his first tenure there. During that time, the team went 309–181 while making theNIT twice while appearing in theNCAA tournament seven times (1956, 1957, 1963–1966, and 1973). Oklahoma City also won theAll-College Tournament in 1965. Lemons coached several All-America & future NBA players, such as Arnold Short[7] andHub Reed.
From 1973 to 1976, Lemons was head coach atPan American University, where he was named 1974–75 Texas Coach of the Year and coached the nation's leading scorer in Marshall Rogers.
Lemons became the head coach at theUniversity of Texas on March 16, 1976, succeedingLeon Black who had resigned seventeen days prior on February 28.[8] He served as president of theNational Association of Basketball Coaches in 1977 and was namedNational Coach of the Year in 1978. In March 1978, Lemons led the University of Texas to the championship of the NIT with a victory over North Carolina State. The Longhorns would enjoy a minor blip in national prominence under Lemons, with the aforementioned NIT championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1979. Lemons' last season at Texas was 1981–82.
Lemons became beloved across all of his jobs for his witticisms, but at his most prominent job, Texas, he made a number of notable quotes that made him popular among the fanbase. WhenRice head coachMike Schuler made 99 substitutions in a 78–64 Longhorns victory at theFrank Erwin Center on January 17, 1978, Lemons commented, "All they need are a few clowns to make a circus." In the rematch which was also won by the Longhorns 102–86 atRice Gymnasium three weeks later on February 7, he and his players encountered a crowd which included about 75 Rice students dressed asclowns. An unfazed Lemons responded, "I was in thewar with theJapanese and theGermans. After that, a few clowns aren't going to bother me."[9]
Lemons returned to Oklahoma City University in 1983. In his second stint at the program, Lemons took the Chiefs (now known as the Stars) to theNAIA Championship tournament once and to the District IX playoffs four times. Lemons wasSooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1985–1986. OCU had an undefeated season record and a trip to the NAIA tournament in 1986–1987. That year, they were ranked number one throughout the season. The season ended with a 34–1 record, Lemons was named District 9 Coach of the Year and Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. In 1987, he was namedBasketball Times Coach of the Year. In 1989, he received theJim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award.
During his 25 years with OCU, Lemons posted a record of 432–264. He brought positive national attention to the state ofOklahoma,Oklahoma City, and OCU. He established himself as a "teacher of men," not only in sports, but in the values of life, as proven by the success and leadership accomplishments of his students and players. In 1990, Lemons was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Lemons married Betty Jo Bills, and they had two daughters, Dana and Jan.
Lemons died on September 2, 2002, of complications fromParkinson's disease at the age of 79.[10]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Chiefs(NCAA University Division independent)(1955–1973) | |||||||||
| 1955–56 | Oklahoma City | 20–7 | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||||
| 1956–57 | Oklahoma City | 19–9 | NCAA University Division Elite Eight | ||||||
| 1957–58 | Oklahoma City | 14–12 | |||||||
| 1958–59 | Oklahoma City | 20–7 | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||||
| 1959–60 | Oklahoma City | 12–13 | |||||||
| 1960–61 | Oklahoma City | 14–12 | |||||||
| 1961–62 | Oklahoma City | 14–12 | |||||||
| 1962–63 | Oklahoma City | 19–10 | NCAA University Division Sweet 16 | ||||||
| 1963–64 | Oklahoma City | 15–11 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
| 1964–65 | Oklahoma City | 21–10 | NCAA University Division Elite Eight | ||||||
| 1965–66 | Oklahoma City | 24–5 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
| 1966–67 | Oklahoma City | 16–10 | |||||||
| 1967–68 | Oklahoma City | 20–7 | NIT First Round | ||||||
| 1968–69 | Oklahoma City | 18–9 | |||||||
| 1969–70 | Oklahoma City | 17–13 | |||||||
| 1970–71 | Oklahoma City | 9–16 | |||||||
| 1971–72 | Oklahoma City | 16–12 | |||||||
| 1972–73 | Oklahoma City | 21–6 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
| Pan American Broncs(Independent)(1973–1976) | |||||||||
| 1973–74 | Pan American | 13–9 | |||||||
| 1974–75 | Pan American | 22–2 | |||||||
| 1975–76 | Pan American | 20–5 | |||||||
| Pan American: | 55–16 (.775) | ||||||||
| Texas Longhorns(Southwest Conference)(1976–1982) | |||||||||
| 1976–77 | Texas | 13–13 | 8–8 | T–4th | |||||
| 1977–78 | Texas | 26–5 | 14–2 | T–1st | NIT Champion | ||||
| 1978–79 | Texas | 21–8 | 13–3 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1979–80 | Texas | 19–11 | 10–6 | 3rd | NIT Second Round | ||||
| 1980–81 | Texas | 15–15 | 7–9 | T–6th | |||||
| 1981–82 | Texas | 16–11 | 6–10 | T–7th | |||||
| Texas: | 110–63 (.636) | 58–38 (.604) | |||||||
| Oklahoma City Chiefs(Midwestern City Conference)(1983–1985) | |||||||||
| 1983–84 | Oklahoma City | 8–18 | 3–11 | 8th | |||||
| 1984–85 | Oklahoma City | 6–20 | 1–13 | 8th | |||||
| Oklahoma City Chiefs(Sooner Athletic Conference)(1985–1990) | |||||||||
| 1985–86 | Oklahoma City | 21–6 | |||||||
| 1986–87 | Oklahoma City | 34–1 | 1st | NAIA Second Round | |||||
| 1987–88 | Oklahoma City | 19–12 | |||||||
| 1988–89 | Oklahoma City | 12–14 | |||||||
| 1989–90 | Oklahoma City | 18–13 | |||||||
| Oklahoma City: | 427–264 (.618) | ||||||||
| Total: | 592–343 (.633) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
