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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1904-08-06)August 6, 1904 Easton, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 15, 1993(1993-01-15) (aged 88) Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Basketball | |
| 1923–1927 | Westminster (MO) |
| Position | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Basketball | |
| 1927–1929 | Classen HS (OK) |
| 1929–1933 | Northwest Missouri State |
| 1933–1934 | Colorado |
| 1934–1970 | Oklahoma A&M / State |
| Baseball | |
| 1934–1941 | Oklahoma A&M / State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1935–1970 | Oklahoma A&M / State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 751–340 (college basketball) 90–41 (college baseball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Basketball 2NCAA tournament (1945,1946) 4NCAA Regional—Final Four (1945,1946,1949,1951) | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1969 (profile) | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
Henry Payne “Hank” Iba (/ˈaɪbə/; August 6, 1904 – January 15, 1993) was an Americanbasketball coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head basketball coach at Northwest Missouri State Teacher's College, now known asNorthwest Missouri State University, from 1929 to 1933; theUniversity of Colorado Boulder from 1933 to 1934; and theOklahoma State University–Stillwater, known as Oklahoma A&M prior to 1957, from 1934 to 1970, compiling a careercollege basketball coaching record of 751–340. He ledOklahoma A&M to consecutiveNCAA basketball tournament titles, in1945 and1946.
Iba was also theathletic director at Oklahoma A&M / Oklahoma State from 1935 to 1970 and the school's headbaseball coach from 1934 to 1941, tallying a mark of 90–41. As head coach of theUnited States men's national basketball team, he led the U.S. to the gold medals at the1964 and1968 Summer Olympics. Iba was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969.
Iba was born and raised inEaston, Missouri. He playedcollege basketball atWestminster College, where he became a member ofLambda Chi Alpha fraternity. The basketball court at Westminster is now named in his honor.
After coaching stints at Maryville Teachers' College (nowNorthwest Missouri State University) and theUniversity of Colorado, Iba came to Oklahoma A&M College in 1934. He stayed at Oklahoma A&M, renamedOklahoma State University in 1957, for 36 years until his retirement after the 1969–70 season. For most of his tenure at A&M/OSU, he doubled asathletic director. Additionally, Iba coachedOSU's baseball team from 1934 to 1941.
Iba is thought to be one of the toughest coaches in NCAA history. He was a very methodical coach who expected things to be done perfectly. His teams were a reflection of his personality. They were methodical, ball-controlling units that featured weaving patterns and low scoring games. Iba's "swinging gate" defense (a man-to-man with team flow) was applauded by many, and is still effective in today's game. He was known as "the Iron Duke of Defense."
Iba's Aggies became the first to win consecutive NCAA titles (1945 and 1946). His 1945–46 NCAA champions were led byBob Kurland, the game's first seven-foot player. They beatNYU in the 1945 finals andNorth Carolina in the 1946 finals. He was votedcoach of the year in both seasons. His 1945 champions defeatedNational Invitation Tournament champion,DePaul, and 6'10" centerGeorge Mikan in a classic Red Cross Benefit game.
A&M/State teams won 14Missouri Valley titles and oneBig Eight title, and won 655 games in 36 seasons.
Iba's tenure crested in 1958. That year, the Cowboys joined (or rejoined, depending on the source) the Big Eight and promptly won the conference title, advancing all the way to the Elite Eight. However, after that season, his Cowboys only finished higher than fourth two more times in Big Eight play, one of which was another Elite Eight appearance in 1965.
All told, in 40 years of coaching, he won 767 games—the second-most in college basketball history at the time of his retirement. As OSU's athletic director, he built a program that won 19 national championships in 5 sports (basketball, wrestling, baseball, golf, cross-country) over the years. After his retirement, "Mr. Iba" (as he is still called at OSU) frequently showed up at practices, often giving advice to young players.
In 1987, OSU's home arena, Gallagher Hall, was renamedGallagher-Iba Arena in Iba's honor. A seat in the southeast concourse level of the arena is known as "Mr. Iba's Seat," and it is maintained without a fan having sat in it.
Iba coached theUnited States Olympic basketball team in1964,1968 and1972. He is the first coach in U.S. Olympic basketball history to coach two gold medal-winning teams (1964 in1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics and 1968 in1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics). CoachMike Krzyzewski became the second in2012. At his third Olympics in charge in1972, Iba led his team to another gold medal game, which resulted in ahighly controversial 50–51 loss to theSoviet Union, breaking Team USA's 63-game winning streak inOlympic competition.
Iba was elected to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the Missouri Hall of Fame, the Helms Foundation All-Time Hall of Fame for basketball, The Westminster College (MO) Sports Hall of Fame,National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (in 2006),FIBA Hall of Fame (in 2007) andNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (in 1969) at Springfield, Massachusetts.
Iba was indirectly responsible for a $165 million donation to the Oklahoma State University athletic program. In 1951,T. Boone Pickens, a graduate of OSU with a degree in petroleum geology, was looking for a job and asked Iba for help. Iba set the young graduate up with two interviews for high-school basketball coaching jobs and although Pickens didn't end up becoming a coach, the favor Iba did for him was the impetus behind his decision 50 years later to make a $165 million donation to Oklahoma State University's athletic program.[1]
Iba was inducted into theOklahoma Hall of Fame in 1965.
Iba died on January 15, 1993, inStillwater, Oklahoma.
Iba is known for hiscoaching tree, the group of prominent coaches who either coached or played for Iba himself, or are linked to Iba by playing for one of his pupils. Coaches in this tree typically use a physical man-to-man defense and an offense predicated on ball movement and passing.
| Coach | Iba connection | Years as Head Coach | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Brown | Played for the 1964 U.S. Olympic team | Numerous college and pro teams, 1972–present | 1988 NCAA title; 2004 NBA title; coached the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. |
| Doug Collins | Played for the 1972 U.S. Olympic team | Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers, 1986–2013 | |
| Jack Hartman | Played for Oklahoma A&M, 1943–47; assistant coach at Oklahoma A&M, 1954 | Southern Illinois, Kansas State, 1962–86 | NABC National Coach of the Year, 1981 |
| Don Haskins | Played for Oklahoma A&M, 1949–52; assistant coach on the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team | Texas Western/UTEP, 1961–1999 | 1966 NCAA title |
| Moe Iba | Played for Oklahoma State, 1958–62; assistant to Don Haskins at UTEP, 1962–66 | Memphis State, Nebraska, Texas Christian, 1966–94 | Son of Henry Iba |
| Bob Knight | Assistant coach on 1972 the U.S. Olympic Team | Army, Indiana, Texas Tech, 1965–2008 | 1976, '81, and '87 NCAA titles. Coached 1984 the U.S. Olympic team. |
| Bud Millikan | Played for Oklahoma A&M, 1939–42 | Maryland, 1950–67 | |
| Doyle Parrack | Played for Oklahoma A&M, 1943–46 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1950–62 | |
| Wilbur "Sparky" Stalcup | Played for Iba at Northwest Missouri, 1929–33 | Northwest Missouri, Missouri, 1933–62 | |
| Eddie Sutton | Played for Oklahoma A&M, 1955–58; assistant coach at Oklahoma State, 1958–59 | Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, San Francisco, 1969–2008 | 1978 and 1986 AP National Coach of the Year |
TheHenry Iba Award was established in 1959 to recognize the best college basketball coach of the year by theUnited States Basketball Writers Association. Five nominees are presented and the individual with the most votes receives the award which is presented in conjunction with theFinal Four. The award is presented at theOscar Robertson Trophy breakfast the Friday before the Final Four.
In 1994, the Rotary Club of Tulsa established the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete of the Year Award to honor two athletes, one male and one female, which have exhibited or demonstrated excellence in their sport and in life.[2] In 1997, the Rotary Club of Tulsa established the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete of the Year Award with additional acknowledgement by recognized by the Chairman's Award.[3] Former New York Knicks playerJohn Starks was the male winner of the award in 1997.[4]
In 2017,John Savage portrayed Iba in the Russian sport dramaGoing Vertical, about the 1972 Olympic final.
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Missouri State Bearcats(Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1930–1933) | |||||||||
| 1929–30 | Northwest Missouri State | 31–0 | |||||||
| 1930–31 | Northwest Missouri State | 31–6 | |||||||
| 1931–32 | Northwest Missouri State | 20–2 | NAAU Runner-up | ||||||
| 1932–33 | Northwest Missouri State | 12–7 | |||||||
| Northwest Missouri State: | 93–15 (.861) | ||||||||
| Colorado Silver and Gold(Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference)(1933–1934) | |||||||||
| 1933–34 | Colorado | 9–8 | 7–7 | ||||||
| Colorado: | 9–8 (.529) | ||||||||
| Oklahoma A&M/State Cowboys(Missouri Valley Conference)(1934–1957) | |||||||||
| 1934–35 | Oklahoma A&M | 9–9 | 5–7 | 5th | |||||
| 1935–36 | Oklahoma A&M | 16–8 | 9–4 | T–1st | |||||
| 1936–37 | Oklahoma A&M | 19–3 | 11–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1937–38 | Oklahoma A&M | 25–3 | 13–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1938–39 | Oklahoma A&M | 19–8 | 11–3 | 1st | |||||
| 1939–40 | Oklahoma A&M | 26–3 | 12–0 | 1st | NIT Final Four | ||||
| 1940–41 | Oklahoma A&M | 18–7 | 8–4 | 2nd | |||||
| 1941–42 | Oklahoma A&M | 20–6 | 9–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1942–43 | Oklahoma A&M | 14–10 | 7–3 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1943–44 | Oklahoma A&M | 27–6 | 1st* | NIT Final Four | |||||
| 1944–45 | Oklahoma A&M | 27–4 | 1st* | NCAA Champion | |||||
| 1945–46 | Oklahoma A&M | 31–2 | 12–0 | 1st | NCAA Champion | ||||
| 1946–47 | Oklahoma A&M | 24–8 | 8–4 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1947–48 | Oklahoma A&M | 27–4 | 10–0 | T–1st | |||||
| 1948–49 | Oklahoma A&M | 23–5 | 9–1 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up | ||||
| 1949–50 | Oklahoma A&M | 18–9 | 7–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 1950–51 | Oklahoma A&M | 29–6 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA Fourth Place | ||||
| 1951–52 | Oklahoma A&M | 19–8 | 9–3 | 2nd | |||||
| 1952–53 | Oklahoma A&M | 23–7 | 8–2 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 1953–54 | Oklahoma A&M | 24–5 | 9–1 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 1954–55 | Oklahoma A&M | 12–13 | 5–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 1955–56 | Oklahoma A&M | 18–9 | 8–4 | 2nd | NIT First Round | ||||
| 1956–57 | Oklahoma A&M | 17–9 | 8–6 | 3rd | |||||
| Oklahoma State Cowboys(Big Eight Conference)(1957–1970) | |||||||||
| 1957–58 | Oklahoma State | 21–8 | NCAA University Division Elite Eight | ||||||
| 1958–59 | Oklahoma State | 11–14 | 5–9 | 5th | |||||
| 1959–60 | Oklahoma State | 10–15 | 4–10 | 7th | |||||
| 1960–61 | Oklahoma State | 14–11 | 8–6 | 3rd | |||||
| 1961–62 | Oklahoma State | 14–11 | 7–7 | 4th | |||||
| 1962–63 | Oklahoma State | 16–9 | 7–7 | 5th | |||||
| 1963–64 | Oklahoma State | 15–10 | 7–7 | 4th | |||||
| 1964–65 | Oklahoma State | 20–7 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA University Division Elite Eight | ||||
| 1965–66 | Oklahoma State | 4–21 | 2–12 | 7th | |||||
| 1966–67 | Oklahoma State | 7–18 | 2–12 | 7th | |||||
| 1967–68 | Oklahoma State | 10–16 | 3–11 | 7th | |||||
| 1968–69 | Oklahoma State | 12–13 | 5–9 | 6th | |||||
| 1969–70 | Oklahoma State | 14–12 | 5–9 | 7th | |||||
| Oklahoma State: | 653–317 (.673) | 257–152 (.628) | |||||||
| Total: | 755–340 (.689) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma A&M Cowboys(Missouri Valley Conference)(1934–1941) | |||||||||
| 1934 | Oklahoma A&M | 11–4 | |||||||
| 1935 | Oklahoma A&M | 8–8 | |||||||
| 1936 | Oklahoma A&M | 13–7 | |||||||
| 1937 | Oklahoma A&M | 13–4 | |||||||
| 1938 | Oklahoma A&M | 13–4 | |||||||
| 1939 | Oklahoma A&M | 11–7 | |||||||
| 1940 | Oklahoma A&M | 13–5 | |||||||
| 1941 | Oklahoma A&M | 8–2 | |||||||
| Oklahoma A&M: | 90–41 (.687) | ||||||||
| Total: | 90–41 (.687) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
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