Ray Mears (coach)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ray Mears | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title | Head coach | |
| College | University of Tennessee Wittenburg University |
|
| Sport | Basketball | |
| Career Highlights | ||
| Coaching positions | ||
| 1957-1962 1963-1977 |
Wittenburg University University of Tennessee |
|
Ray Mears is a former collegiate basketball coach at Wittenburg University (1957-1962) and the University of Tennessee (1963-1977). His career record of 399-135 (.747) still ranks among the top 15 all-time NCAA coaching records for those with a minimum of 10 seasons. Mears is largely regarded as the father of University of Tennessee basketball and was known for his trademark orange blazer, which he wore during games. Mears is also credited with coining the phrase "Big Orange Country."
Mears was born in 1929 in Dover, Ohio, and is married to the former Dana Davis. They have three sons: Steve, Mike and Matt.
[edit] Early Years
Mears played college basketball at Miami University as a walk-on, graduating from there in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in education. He earned his master's degree at Kent State University while coaching at West Tech. He is a member of the Miami University Athletics Hall of Fame and contributed to Miami University's national reputation as the "Cradle of Coaches."
[edit] Coaching Start
He first coached at Cadiz High School in Ohio's Harrison County in 1949, where he doubled as head basketball coach and assistant football coach. In 1950, he left Cadiz for a two-year stint in the Army, returning to the head basketball coaching position at West Tech High School in Cleveland in 1952. That team won the district championship and finished second in the city of Cleveland. Mears spent four successful years at West Tech.
Mears next moved to Wittenberg University (Springfield) as head basketball coach, assistant football and head tennis coach. In six seasons at Wittenberg, he led the Tigers to four Ohio Conference titles and a 121-23 record. It was at Wittenberg where Mears developed his reputation as a great teacher of team defense. For three seasons, Wittenberg was ranked No. 1 in defense in the country and produced two first-team All-Americans. In 1960-61, the Tigers won the small college basketball title. Mears was named the Ohio Coach of the Year in 1960.
[edit] The Move to "Big Orange Country"
From Wittenberg, the 35-year-old Mears traveled to The University of Tennessee, becoming one of the NCAA's most successful coaches during his 15-year stint there. He compiled three Southeastern Conference championships between 1962 and 1977 and an overall winning percentage of .713. Mears was twice named the SEC Coach of the Year (1967 and 1977). He coached 12 All-Americans at Tennessee, including NBA stars Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld. He retired in 1977 after 21 years of college coaching and a 399-135 record with no losing seasons and a .747 winning percentage. After leaving coaching, he served for 10 years as Athletic Director at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
One of the prime achievements of Mears' tenure at Tennessee was the introduction of the phrase "Big Orange Country" to the Volunteer fans. As an Ohio native, Mears recalled the Steubenville "Big Red" and liked the name and all it implied. The Volunteers and the Knoxville area took it to heart, along with the innovative pre-game shows Mears brought to the fans.
