Douglas R. Mills
Biographical details
Born(1907-04-09)April 9, 1907
Elgin, Illinois, U.S.
Died(1993-08-12)August 12, 1993 (aged 86)
Urbana, Illinois, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1927–1929Illinois
Basketball
1927–1930Illinois
Position(s)Quarterback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1936–1941Illinois (assistant)
Basketball
1931–1935Joliet Central HS
1936–1947Illinois
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1941–1966Illinois
Head coaching record
Overall151–66 (college)
68–36 (high school)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 Big Ten (1937, 1942, 1943)
Awards
100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament (2007)

Douglas Raymond "Gaga" Mills (April 9, 1907 – August 12, 1993), a native of Elgin, Illinois, was a high school and college basketball player and coach in the state of Illinois. During high school, Mills was the first player in the state to lead his team to back-to-back titles in 1924 and 1925. He totaled 32 points in four state tournament games for Elgin High School during an era of low-scoring play. Mills played for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team from 1927 to 1930[1] followed by a five-year coaching stint at Joliet Township High School. He led his Joliet team to the state tournament in 1935. He returned to the U of I as head men's basketball coach from 1936 to 1947.[2] He coached the famous "Whiz Kids" and also served as the Fighting Illini's athletic director. Mills died in 1993.

While coaching at Illinois, Mills compiled a record of 151 wins and 66 losses, winning three conference titles during his tenure. He added the athletic director's post in 1941. In 1947, he stepped down as head coach to concentrate on his duties as athletic director, naming Champaign High coach Harry Combes as his successor. He was also responsible for hiring football coaches Ray Eliot and Pete Elliott. In 2007, the Illinois High School Association named Mills one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.

He and his wife, Lorene Muntz, had a daughter, Sally, who died from a ruptured appendix. The two later adopted two children, Peter G. Mills and the late Molly M. Mills.

Doug and Lorene divorced in the early 1960's. Neither ever remarried.

Head coaching record

High school

School Season Record Postseason
Joliet Township HS 1930-31 12-10
Joliet Township HS 1931-32 16-3
Joliet Township HS 1932-33 10-9
Joliet Township HS 1933-34 18-4 District Champions
Joliet Township HS 1934-35 12-10 State Quarterfinalist
Coaching totals1930-3568-36

College

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten Conference) (1936–1947)
1936–37 Illinois 14–410–2T–1st
1937–38 Illinois 9–94–8T–8th
1938–39 Illinois 14–58–43rd
1939–40 Illinois 14–67–5T–4th
1940–41 Illinois 13–77–5T–3rd
1941–42 Illinois 18–513–21st
1942–43 Illinois 17–112–01st
1943–44 Illinois 11–95–76th
1944–45 Illinois 13–77–53rd
1945–46 Illinois 14–77–5T–5th
1946–47 Illinois 13–78–4T–2nd
Illinois: 151–6688–47
Total:151–66

      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

References

  1. ↑ "Illinois Basketball History – All-Time Rosters". www.fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on 2010-03-22. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Mills Accepts U. of I. Coach Job". Daily Journal-Gazette and Commercial-Star. Matoon, Illinois. April 4, 1936. p. 5. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.