Ray Meyer

Raymond Joseph Meyer (December 18, 1913 – March 17, 2006) was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois.[1] He was well known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record.[2] Meyer coached DePaul to 21 post-season appearances (13 NCAA, eight NIT). In total, Meyer recorded 37 winning seasons and twelve 20-win seasons, including seven straight from 1978 to 1984. Two Meyer-coached teams reached the Final Four (1943 and 1979), and in 1945, Meyer led DePaul past Bowling Green to capture the National Invitation Tournament, the school's only post-season title.[2]

Red Rolfe and Meyer in 1942
Ray Meyer
Meyer from the 1970 DePaulian
Biographical details
Born(1913-12-18)December 18, 1913
Chicago, Illinois
DiedMarch 17, 2006(2006-03-17) (aged 92)
Chicago, Illinois
Playing career
1935–1938Notre Dame
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1942–1984DePaul
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1945–1974DePaul
Head coaching record
Overall724–354
Tournaments14–16 (NCAA Division I)
10–8 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 NCAA Division I Regional—Final Four (1943, 1979)
NIT (1945)
Awards
2× AP Coach of the Year (1980, 1984)
2x Henry Iba Award (1978, 1980)
NABC Coach of the Year (1979)
2× UPI Coach of the Year (1980, 1984)
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1979 (profile)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Meyer coached a College All-Star team that played a coast-to-coast series against the Harlem Globetrotters for 11 years. One of his best players was George Mikan, who was a game-changing player and basketball's first great "big man". Meyer recruited Mikan from Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, a school Meyer had himself earlier attended. Other top players coached by Meyer include former NBA players Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings. During Meyer's tenure the basketball rivalry between DePaul and Loyola reached an extremely high level. Meyer's great-great nephew, Mike Starkman, played basketball for Loyola as a walk-on. Meyer was a much-beloved figure in Chicago, and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[2] He was succeeded as DePaul coach by his son, Joey, who led the team for several more seasons, but less successfully than had his father.

Meyer also ran a summer basketball camp near Three Lakes in northern Wisconsin for many years.

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Postseason
DePaul Blue Demons (NCAA University Division / Division I independent) (1942–1984)
1942–43 DePaul 19–5NCAA Final Four
1943–44 DePaul 22–4NIT Runner-up
1944–45 DePaul 21–3NIT Champion
1945–46 DePaul 19–5
1946–47 DePaul 16–9
1947–48 DePaul 22–8NIT Semifinal
1948–49 DePaul 16–9
1949–50 DePaul 12–13
1950–51 DePaul 13–12
1951–52 DePaul 19–8
1952–53 DePaul 19–9NCAA Regional Fourth Place
1953–54 DePaul 11–10
1954–55 DePaul 16–6
1955–56 DePaul 16–8NCAA First Round
1956–57 DePaul 8–14
1957–58 DePaul 8–12
1958–59 DePaul 13–11NCAA Regional Fourth Place
1959–60 DePaul 17–7NCAA Regional Third Place
1960–61 DePaul 17–8NIT First Round
1961–62 DePaul 13–10
1962–63 DePaul 15–8NIT First Round
1963–64 DePaul 21–4NIT First Round
1964–65 DePaul 17–10NCAA Regional Fourth Place
1965–66 DePaul 18–8NIT First Round
1966–67 DePaul 17–8
1967–68 DePaul 13–12
1968–69 DePaul 14–11
1969–70 DePaul 12–13
1970–71 DePaul 8–17
1971–72 DePaul 12–11
1972–73 DePaul 14–11
1973–74 DePaul 16–9
1974–75 DePaul 15–10
1975–76 DePaul 20–9NCAA Sweet 16
1976–77 DePaul 15–12
1977–78 DePaul 27–3NCAA Elite Eight
1978–79 DePaul 26–6NCAA Third Place
1979–80 DePaul 26–2NCAA Second Round
1980–81 DePaul 27–2NCAA Second Round
1981–82 DePaul 26–2NCAA Second Round
1982–83 DePaul 21–12NIT Runner-up
1983–84 DePaul 27–3NCAA Sweet 16
DePaul: 724–354
Total:724–354

      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. "Ray Meyer". sports-reference.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  2. "Raymond J. "Ray" Meyer". hoophall.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
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