- Don Meyer
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Don Meyer, PhD Sport(s) Basketball Current position Title Head Coach Emeritus Team Northern State Record 221–104 (.680) Biographical details Born December 16, 1944 [1] Place of birth Wayne, Nebraska, U.S.[1] Playing career Northern Colorado Coaching career (HC unless noted) 1968–1970
1970–1972
1972–1975
1975–1999
1999–2010Western State (asst.)
Utah (asst.)
Hamline
Lipscomb
Northern StateHead coaching record Overall 923–324 (.740) Accomplishments and honors Championships NAIA national men's basketball championship (1986) Awards John Bunn Award (2010)[2] Don Meyer (born December 16, 1944 in Wayne, Nebraska) is a retired American college basketball coach who completed his career in 2010 as head coach of the men's team at Northern State University.[1] He previously was head coach at Hamline University and Lipscomb University.[1]
Contents
College basketball coaching career
Meyer is currently the most successful men's basketball coach whose career has included at least one stint with an NCAA member school. His career win total includes stints as a NAIA coach. Meyer is the winningest men's coach in NCAA wins.[3] He is the subject of the book, Playing for Coach Meyer written by Steve Smiley, who played for Meyer as point guard (1999–2004), and who served as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2008. Additionally, Meyer is also the subject of a more extensive biography written by ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney, who has had a close relationship with Meyer since Olney was assigned to cover baseball in Nashville while Meyer was coaching at Lipscomb. "How Lucky You Can Be: The Story of Coach Don Meyer" was released on November 9, 2010.
Pat Summitt cites Meyer as a major influence on her development as a coach, noting in a 2009 interview:
“ He taught me how to teach others how to play the game. When I started coaching at Tennessee, I was 22 years old. I had four players 21 that were seniors. And I never coached a day in my life. So did Coach Meyer help me? Tremendously.[4] ” Accident and cancer
Don Meyer had cancer discovered in his liver and intestines (bowels[3]) during emergency surgery after a car crash on September 5, 2008.[5] His lower left leg had to be amputated below the knee in order to treat the cancer which was discovered during surgery to remove his spleen.[6]
Awards
At the ESPY Awards 2009, Meyer was awarded the Jimmy V (Jim Valvano) Award For Perseverance.
Retirement
On February 22, 2010, Northern State announced that Meyer will be retiring after 38 years of coaching at the end of the 2009–10 season. Later that year, on June 30, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Meyer was that year's recipient of the John Bunn Award, given by the Hall for significant contributions to the sport.[2]
Head coaching record
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason Hamline Pipers (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1972–1975) 1972–1973 Hamline 5–20 1973–1974 Hamline 16–10 1974–1975 Hamline 16–11 NCAA D–III Quarterfinals Hamline: 37–41 Lipscomb Bisons (Volunteer State Athletic Conference) (1975–1985) 1975–1976 Lipscomb 11–19 1976–1977 Lipscomb 18–9 1977–1978 Lipscomb 21–6 1978–1979 Lipscomb 21–12 1979–1980 Lipscomb 15–15 1980–1981 Lipscomb 25–11 1981–1982 Lipscomb 33–4 NAIA First Round 1982–1983 Lipscomb 19–14 1983–1984 Lipscomb 30–5 1984–1985 Lipscomb 25–9 NAIA Second Round Lipscomb Bisons (Tennessee Colleigate Athletic Conference) (1985–1996) 1985–1986 Lipscomb 35–4 NAIA Champions 1986–1987 Lipscomb 27–6 1987–1988 Lipscomb 33–3 NAIA Second Round 1988–1989 Lipscomb 38–2 1989–1990 Lipscomb 41–5 NAIA Semifinals 1990–1991 Lipscomb 35–4 NAIA Quarterfinals 1991–1992 Lipscomb 31–5 NAIA Second Round 1992–1993 Lipscomb 34–4 NAIA Quarterfinals 1993–1994 Lipscomb 29–6 NAIA First Round 1994–1995 Lipscomb 30–7 NAIA Second Round 1995–1996 Lipscomb 33–6 NAIA Semifinals Lipscomb Bisons (TranSouth Athletic Conference) (1996–1999) 1996–1997 Lipscomb 30–6 NAIA First Round 1997–1998 Lipscomb 26–8 1998–1999 Lipscomb 25–9 NAIA First Round Lipscomb: 665–179 Northern State Wolves (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) (1999–2010) 1999–2000 Northern State 13–14 10–8 5th 2000–2001 Northern State 14–13 10–8 5th 2001–2002 Northern State 20–8 14–4 T–1st 2002–2003 Northern State 20–9 15–3 1st 2003–2004 Northern State 24–7 13–3 2nd NCAA D–II First Round 2004–2005 Northern State 21–10 9–5 3rd NCAA D–II First Round 2005–2006 Northern State 27–6 11–3 2nd NCAA D–II Regional Final 2006–2007 Northern State 21–8 13–5 T–3rd 2007–2008 Northern State 29–4 16–2 2nd NCAA D–II Regional Final 2008–2009 Northern State 19–11 8–5 7th NCAA D–II First Round 2009–2010 Northern State 13–14 9–11 T–9th Northern State: 221–104 128–59 Total: 923–324 National Champion Conference Regular Season Champion Conference Tournament Champion
Conference Regular Season & Conference Tournament Champion Conference Division ChampionReferences
- ^ a b c d "2008-2009 Men's Basketball Coaching Staff" (in English). NSUWolvesAthletics.com. Northern State University. http://www.nsuwolvesathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=113&path=mbball. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
- ^ a b "Legendary Coach Don Meyer To Receive Hall of Fame’s 2010 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award" (Press release). Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. June 30, 2010. http://www.hoophall.com/news/2010/6/30/legendary-coach-don-meyer-to-receive-hall-of-fames-2010-john.html. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ^ a b Meyer, NCAA's leading active men's coach in wins, has treatable cancer - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
- ^ Olney, Buster (2010-02-22). "Don Meyer set to retire at end of year". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4934150. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
- ^ Olney, Buster (2008-11-18). "Twelve wins away: Don Meyer's hard road back from the brink". ESPN The Magazine. ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/news/story?id=3710245. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
- ^ Northern State coach has leg amputated as part of cancer treatment - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
External links
Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball head coaches Herschel Priestley (1926–1928) • Edgar Darnell (1928–1929) • Leo Boles (1929–1932) • Robert Alexander (1932–1933) • Robert G. Neil (1933–1936) • Herb Nance (1936–1943) • Peyton Alsup (1943–1944) • Fessor Boyce (1944–1949) • Herman Waddell (1949–1952) • Elvis Sherrill (1952–1955) • Charles Morris (1955–1966) • Guy Phipps (1966–1967) • Ken Dugan (1967–1970) • Mike Clark (1970–1973) • Charles Strasburger (1973–1975) • Don Meyer (1975–1999) • Scott Sanderson (1999– )
Categories:- 1944 births
- Living people
- American amputees
- American basketball coaches
- American basketball players
- Basketball players from Nebraska
- College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
- Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball coaches
- Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball players
- People from Wayne County, Nebraska
- Utah Utes men's basketball coaches
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