Billy Tubbs
Biographical details
Born(1935-03-05)March 5, 1935
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DiedNovember 1, 2020(2020-11-01) (aged 85)
Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma materLamar Tech (B.A.)
Stephen F. Austin (M.A.)
Playing career
1953–1955Lon Morris JC
1955–1957Lamar Tech
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1960–1971Lamar Tech (assistant)
1971–1973Southwestern (TX)
1973–1976North Texas (assistant)
1976–1980Lamar
1980–1994Oklahoma
1994–2002TCU
2003–2006Lamar
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2002–2011Lamar
Head coaching record
Overall641–340
Tournaments18–12 (NCAA Division I)
11–6 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NCAA Division I Regional—Final Four (1988)
2 Southland regular season (1979, 1980)
4 Big Eight regular season (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988)
3 Big Eight tournament (1985, 1988, 1990)
WAC regular season (1998)
Awards
2x Southland Coach of the Year (1978, 1980)
4× Big Eight Coach of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988, 1989)
WAC Coach of the Year (1998)

Billy Duane Tubbs (March 5, 1935 – November 1, 2020) was an American men's college basketball coach. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native was the head coach of his alma mater Lamar University (1976–1980, 2003–2006), the University of Oklahoma (1980–1994) and Texas Christian University (1994–2002). His first head coaching job — from 1971-72 through 1972-73 — was at Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, where his teams were 12–16 and 19–8. From there he went to the University of North Texas to serve as assistant coach under Gene Robbins[1] and for one year under Bill Blakeley.

Tubbs was known for his high scoring offense and full-court press defense.

Tubbs achieved many coaching milestones during his coaching career. He became the ninth coach in NCAA history to record 100 wins at three different schools (Oklahoma 333, TCU 156 and Lamar 121). He became the 28th coach in NCAA Division I history to record 600 wins in Lamar's 79-67 win over Texas Southern during the 2003-04 season.[2]

Early life and college playing career

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Tubbs grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended Central High School in Tulsa. Tubbs then attended Lamar State College of Technology (now Lamar University) in Beaumont, Texas and lettered in basketball from 1955 to 1957.[3][4] As a junior in 1955–56, Tubbs averaged 6.7 points and 3.1 rebounds for Lamar Tech.[5]

Coaching career

Tubbs was an assistant at Lamar Tech from 1960 to 1971. Later, he was head coach at Southwestern University from 1971 to 1973. Tubbs was the assistant men's basketball coach at the University of North Texas for three seasons, 1973-74 & 1974-75 under head coach Gene Robbins and 1975-76 under head coach Bill Blakeley. In Blakeley's first season at North Texas, Tubbs, with newly hired assistant coach Jimmy Gales, helped turn around a team that had been 6-20 in 1975, to 22-4 in 1976, averaging 96 points a game – the second highest in the nation. After that season, Tubbs accepted his first head coaching job at Lamar University for the 1976-77 season.

In 31 years of coaching, Tubbs compiled a 641-340 (.653) career record, including a 121-89 record in seven years at Lamar. He guided 12 teams to NCAA tournament appearances, six National Invitation Tournament appearances, eight conference championships, three conference tournament championships and 18 20-win seasons. His 641 wins ranks 34th all-time in NCAA history. While at Oklahoma, Tubbs guided the Sooners to runner-up finishes in the NCAA Tournament (1988) and the National Invitation Tournament (1991). Basketball Weekly named Tubbs National Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985.[6] His 333 wins at OU are the most in school history.

On May 27, 2002, Tubbs returned to Lamar University as director of athletics.[7] Ten months later, on March 21, 2003, he also became Lamar's head basketball coach for the second time.[8] In March 2006, Tubbs resigned as head coach, but remained as director of athletics. He was succeeded by Steve Roccaforte. On June 14, 2010, Tubbs resigned as athletic director to become special advisor to Lamar University President James Simmons on athletics.[9] He was succeeded by Larry Tidwell. Tubbs retired at the end of August 2011.[10]

In a halftime ceremony on February 19, 2011, Lamar dedicated the Montagne Center basketball floor as the "Billy & Pat Tubbs Court", named in honor of the coach and his wife.[11][12] During the same ceremony the school also honored Billy's 1978-79 Cardinals squad, the first team in Lamar University history to advance to the NCAA tournament.

Death and legacy

Tubbs died in Norman, Oklahoma on November 1, 2020, after battling leukemia for five years. He was 85 years old.[13] The long-time TCU basketball coach is immortalized in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by 'Fake Billy Tubbs' a recurring bit character on the prominent local sports radio station The Ticket.[14] Tubbs is also remembered for doing a mean Jack Nicholson impression.[15]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Southwestern Pirates (Big State Conference) (1971–1973)
1971–72 Southwestern 12–167–5
1972–73 Southwestern 19–89–3
Southwestern: 31–24 (.564)16–8 (.667))
Lamar Cardinals (Southland Conference) (1976–1980)
1976–77 Lamar 12–176–43rd
1977–78 Lamar 18–98–22nd
1978–79 Lamar 23–99–11stNCAA Division I Second Round
1979–80 Lamar 22–118–21stNCAA Division I Sweet 16
Oklahoma Sooners (Big Eight Conference) (1980–1994)
1980–81 Oklahoma 9–184–107th
1981–82 Oklahoma 22–118–63rdNIT Semifinal
1982–83 Oklahoma 24–910–42ndNCAA Division I Second Round
1983–84 Oklahoma 29–513–11stNCAA Division I Second Round
1984–85 Oklahoma 31–613–11stNCAA Division I Elite Eight
1985–86 Oklahoma 26–98–6T–3rdNCAA Division I Second Round
1986–87 Oklahoma 24–109–52ndNCAA Division I Sweet 16
1987–88 Oklahoma 35–412–21stNCAA Division I Runner-up
1988–89 Oklahoma 30–612–21stNCAA Division I Sweet 16
1989–90 Oklahoma 27–511–3T–2ndNCAA Division I Second Round
1990–91 Oklahoma 20–155–9T–6thNIT Runner-up
1991–92 Oklahoma 21–98–6T–2ndNCAA Division I First Round
1992–93 Oklahoma 20–127–7T–5thNIT Second Round
1993–94 Oklahoma 15–136–85thNIT First Round
Oklahoma: 333–132 (.716)118–64 (.648)
TCU Horned Frogs (Southwest Conference) (1994–1996)
1994–95 TCU 16–118–6T–3rd
1995–96 TCU 16–146–84th
TCU Horned Frogs (Western Athletic Conference) (1996–2001)
1996–97 TCU 22–137–9T–4th (Mountain)NIT Second Round
1997–98 TCU 27–614–01st (Pacific)NCAA Division I First Round
1998–99 TCU 21–117–7T–4th (Mountain)NIT Quarterfinal
1999–00 TCU 18–148–64th
2000–01 TCU 20–119–74th
TCU Horned Frogs (Conference USA) (2001–2002)
2001–02 TCU 16–156–10T–4th (National)
TCU: 156–95 (.622)65–53 (.551)
Lamar Cardinals (Southland Conference) (2003–2006)
2003–04 Lamar 11–185–1110th
2004–05 Lamar 18–119–75th
2005–06 Lamar 17–149–7T–4th
Lamar: 121–89 (.576)54–34 (.614)
Total:641–340 (.653)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References

  1. ↑ Robbins, NT Cage Coach, Resigns Post, The Dallas Morning News, March 8, 1975
  2. ↑ "COLLEGE SPORTS OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE - Men's Basketball". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-10-24. CSTV, March 6, 2006
  3. ↑ 2015-16 Lamar University Basketball Information Guide Archived March 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, p. 63.
  4. ↑ "Billy Tubbs". Lamar University. Archived from the original on January 30, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Men's Basketball Men's College Division 1956 346 Lamar University" (PDF). web1.ncaa.org.
  6. ↑ http://www.jimthorpeassoc.org/Articles/Billy%20Tubbs.html%5B%5D
  7. ↑ "Larry Tidwell named interim AD - LAMARCARDINALS.COM - Lamar Cardinals Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  8. ↑ "Billy Tubbs back at Lamar - UPI.com". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  9. ↑ "Larry Tidwell named interim AD - LAMARCARDINALS.COM - Lamar Cardinals Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  10. ↑ "Billy Tubbs set to retire from Lamar University - Beaumont Enterprise". 18 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  11. ↑ "Lamar men extend win streak to three - Beaumont Enterprise". 20 February 2011. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  12. ↑ "Simmons, Lamar made great move on Tubbs court » Bob West » PAnews.com, Port Arthur, Texas". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  13. ↑ Wilson, Dave (November 1, 2020). "Oklahoma Sooners basketball legend Billy Tubbs dies at 85". ESPN. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ Engel, Mac (November 4, 2020). "The Ticket's Gordon Keith fondly remembers 'Fake Billy Tubbs'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Invitation Goes Out to That Famous Tubbs Sound-Alike". The Oklahoman. January 23, 1988. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
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