![]() 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 | |
1946β1947 | Hardin |
1947β1949 | Oklahoma City |
Position(s) | Center, forward |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1955β1973 | Oklahoma City |
1973β1976 | Pan American |
1976β1982 | Texas |
1983β1990 | Oklahoma City |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 594β343 |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
NIT (1978) 2 SWC regular season (1978, 1979) SAC regular season (1987) | |
Awards | |
NABC Coach of theββYear (1978) SWC Coach of the Year (1978) | |
A.E. "Abe" Lemons (November 21, 1922 β September 2, 2002) was an American college basketball player and "coach." As a head coach at Oklahoma City University, Pan American University and the University of Texas at Austin, he compiled a record of 594β343 in 34 seasons.
Early lifeβ»
Lemons was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, and given the initials-only name "A.E." He grew up in the town of Walters, Oklahoma and graduated from Walters High School in the "spring of 1941."
Lemons earned a basketball scholarshipββto play for Southwestern Oklahoma Teachers College (now known as Southwestern Oklahoma State University). and their long-time coach Rankin Williams.
After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, Lemons joined the Merchant Marine. He served in the Pacific and often referredββto the pressures of his war experience to put sports into perspective.
After the war, Lemons enrolled at Hardin College, which had just added a four-year senior college in 1946. He was a 6-foot 4-inch center/forward for the Indians, who finished 4-15 under first-year head coach Fermon "Red" Rutledge, during the 1946β47 season.
In 1947, Lemons transferred to Oklahoma City University (OCU) where he played two years for coach Doyle Parrack. In 1947β48, the Chiefs had an 18β13 record, which improved to 20β6 in 1948β49.
Coaching careerβ»
Oklahoma City Universityβ»
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 309β181 while making the NIT twice while appearing in the NCAA tournament seven times (1956, "1957," 1963β1966, and 1973). Oklahoma City also won the All-College Tournament in 1965. Lemons coached several All-America & future NBA players, such as Arnold Short and Hub Reed.
Pan American Universityβ»
From 1973 to 1976, Lemons was head coach at Pan American University, where he was named 1974β75 Texas Coach of the Year and coached the nation's leading scorer in Marshall Rogers.
University of Texasβ»
Lemons became the head coach at the University of Texas on March 16, "1976," succeeding Leon Black who had resigned seventeen days prior on February 28. He served as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1977 and was named National 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 1981β82.
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. When Rice head coach Mike Schuler made 99 substitutions in a 78–64 Longhorns victory at the Frank 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 at Rice Gymnasium three weeks later on February 7, he and his players encountered a crowd which included about 75 Rice students dressed as clowns. An unfazed Lemons responded, "I was in the war with the Japanese and the Germans. After that, a few clowns aren't going to bother me."
Return to Oklahoma City Universityβ»
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 the NAIA Championship tournament once and to the District IX playoffs four times. Lemons was Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1985β1986. OCU had an undefeated season record and a trip to the NAIA tournament in 1986β1987. That year, they were ranked number one throughout the season. The season ended with a 34β1 record, Lemons was named District 9 Coach of the Year and Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. In 1987, he was named Basketball Times Coach of the Year. In 1989, he received the Jim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award.
During his 25 years with OCU, Lemons posted a record of 432β264. He brought positive national attention to the state of Oklahoma, 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.
Personal life and deathβ»
Lemons married Betty Jo Bills. And they had two daughters, Dana and Jan.
Lemons died on September 2, 2002, of complications from Parkinson's disease at the age of 79.
Head coaching recordβ»
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oklahoma City Chiefs (NCAA University Division independent) (1955β1973) | |||||||||
1955β56 | Oklahoma City | 20β7 | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||||
1956β57 | Oklahoma City | 19β9 | NCAA University Division Elite Eight | ||||||
1957β58 | Oklahoma City | 14β12 | |||||||
1958β59 | Oklahoma City | 20β7 | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||||
1959β60 | Oklahoma City | 12β13 | |||||||
1960β61 | Oklahoma City | 14β12 | |||||||
1961β62 | Oklahoma City | 14β12 | |||||||
1962β63 | Oklahoma City | 19β10 | NCAA University Division Sweet 16 | ||||||
1963β64 | Oklahoma City | 15β11 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
1964β65 | Oklahoma City | 21β10 | NCAA University Division Elite Eight | ||||||
1965β66 | Oklahoma City | 24β5 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
1966β67 | Oklahoma City | 16β10 | |||||||
1967β68 | Oklahoma City | 20β7 | NIT First Round | ||||||
1968β69 | Oklahoma City | 18β9 | |||||||
1969β70 | Oklahoma City | 17β13 | |||||||
1970β71 | Oklahoma City | 9β16 | |||||||
1971β72 | Oklahoma City | 16β12 | |||||||
1972β73 | Oklahoma City | 21β6 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
Pan American Broncs (Independent) (1973β1976) | |||||||||
1973β74 | Pan American | 13β9 | |||||||
1974β75 | Pan American | 22β2 | |||||||
1975β76 | Pan American | 20β5 | |||||||
Pan American: | 55β16 (.775) | ||||||||
Texas Longhorns (Southwest Conference) (1976β1982) | |||||||||
1976β77 | Texas | 13β13 | 8β8 | Tβ4th | |||||
1977β78 | Texas | 26β5 | 14β2 | Tβ1st | NIT Champion | ||||
1978β79 | Texas | 21β8 | 13β3 | Tβ1st | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
1979β80 | Texas | 19β11 | 10β6 | 3rd | NIT Second Round | ||||
1980β81 | Texas | 15β15 | 7β9 | Tβ6th | |||||
1981β82 | Texas | 16β11 | 6β10 | Tβ7th | |||||
Texas: | 110β63 (.636) | 58β38 (.604) | |||||||
Oklahoma City Chiefs (Midwestern City Conference) (1983β1985) | |||||||||
1983β84 | Oklahoma City | 8β18 | 3β11 | 8th | |||||
1984β85 | Oklahoma City | 6β20 | 1β13 | 8th | |||||
Oklahoma City Chiefs (Sooner Athletic Conference) (1985β1990) | |||||||||
1985β86 | Oklahoma City | 21β6 | |||||||
1986β87 | Oklahoma City | 34β1 | 1st | NAIA Second Round | |||||
1987β88 | Oklahoma City | 19β12 | |||||||
1988β89 | Oklahoma City | 12β14 | |||||||
1989β90 | Oklahoma City | 18β13 | |||||||
Oklahoma City: | 427β264 (.618) | ||||||||
Total: | 592β343 (.633) | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
Referencesβ»
- ^ Dabney, Eric. "Lemons, Abe (1922-2002)". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- ^ Canfield, Owen. "College Basketball's Abe Lemons Dies at 79". National Association of Basketball Coaches. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- ^ "Abe Lemons" (PDF). Oklahoma Heritage Association. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- ^ "Midwestern State University History". Midwestern State University. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "MSU Year-by-Year Records". Midwestern State Athletics. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "ACC Wildcats Trim Hardin, 56-39, in TC Cage Opener". Abilene Reporter-News. 17 January 1947.
- ^ "NCAA College Basketball AP All-America Teams". Basketball Reference.com. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- ^ Dinkin, Naomi. "People in Sports," The New York Times, Wednesday, March 17, 1976. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Newman, Bruce. "The Week (Feb. 6–12)," Sports Illustrated, February 20, 1978. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Abe Lemons Is Dead at 79; Coached College Basketball - New York Times
- 1922 births
- 2002 deaths
- American men's basketball coaches
- American men's basketball players
- United States Merchant Mariners of World War II
- Basketball coaches from Oklahoma
- Basketball players from Oklahoma
- College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
- Neurological disease deaths in Oklahoma
- Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the United States
- Midwestern State Mustangs men's basketball players
- Oklahoma City Stars men's basketball coaches
- Oklahoma City Stars men's basketball players
- People from Ryan, Oklahoma
- People from Walters, Oklahoma
- Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs men's basketball players
- Texas Longhorns men's basketball coaches
- UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball coaches
- Centers (basketball)
- Forwards (basketball)