Robert Stevens (November 11, 1923 – September 29, 2012) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

. He was the head men's basketball coach at the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

and the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

. From 1959–60 to 1966–67, he posted a combined 80–124 win–loss record at the two schools.

Biography

Raised in

Warsaw, Indiana Warsaw is a city in and the county seat of Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. Warsaw has a population of 15,804 as of the 2020 U.S. Census. Warsaw also borders a smaller town, Winona Lake. Etymology Warsaw, named after the capital of ...

, Stevens attended Sidney High School before going to college at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

; he played on the men's basketball team at Michigan State and graduated from the university in 1949. In World War II and the Korean War, Stevens served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

. He coached at Indiana's Milford High School before receiving his first collegiate job from Michigan State. Stevens spent three seasons coaching the university's freshman team, and was then promoted to an assistant position on the varsity team. After three seasons in that position, he was hired as head coach at South Carolina in 1959. The Gamecocks were 10–16 in 1959–60, Stevens' first head coaching season. Following 1960–61, a season in which the team had a 9–17 record, South Carolina improved to 15–12 in 1961–62, and Stevens earned the

Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year The Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball Coach of the Year is a basketball award given to head coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The award is granted to the head coach voted to be the most successful that season by members of ...

award. In April 1962, Stevens left South Carolina to become Oklahoma's men's basketball coach. In the five seasons that he coached the Sooners, the team did not post a winning record. Oklahoma's best record during this time came in Stevens' first season there, 1962–63, when the Sooners went 12–13. Reportedly "under pressure" after the 1966–67 season, Stevens resigned in April 1967. During his career, he was known for employing attacking,

fast break Fast break is an offensive strategy in basketball and handball. In a fast break, a team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, so that the defense is outnumbered and does not have time to set up. The ...

offensive tactics. Later in his life, Stevens had a 20-year stint as leader of the Waterford Athletic Club, and was an assistant coach for the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

Oklahoma City Cavalry The Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry was a professional basketball team based in Lawton, Oklahoma. They played in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) after having been in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). They have one PBL championship an ...

. On September 29, 2012, Stevens died in a boating accident.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Bob 1920s births 2012 deaths 20th-century American sportsmen Accidental deaths in Oklahoma American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Indiana Basketball players from Indiana Boating accident deaths Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball coaches People from Warsaw, Indiana South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball coaches United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II