Walter Dennis Skidmore (November 19, 1903 – April 13, 1993) was an American basketball coach. he was best known for being the

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team from 1935 through 1939. Skidmore had a record of 65–25 with the Tar Heels and led his team to win the Southern Conference Tournament in 1936 and Southern Conference regular season championship in 1938. In his last year of coaching, Skidmore coached

George Glamack George Gregory Glamack (born Gjuro Gregorvitch Glamoclij, June 7, 1919 – March 10, 1987) was an American professional basketball player. Amateur career Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he was of Serbian origin. His parents were immigrants fro ...

who went on to become a star player at North Carolina. Skidmore took over coaching after

Bo Shepard George Edward "Bo" Shepard (September 18, 1904 – May 8, 1983) was an American basketball coach. he served as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team from 1931 to 1935. Early life and family Shepard was the sevent ...

left as head coach due to health problems. Skidmore was a native of

Harlan County, Kentucky Harlan County is a county located in southeastern Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 26,831. Its county seat is Harlan, Kentucky, Harlan. It is classified as a moist county—one in which alcohol sale ...

, and the son of a coal miner. He attended

Centre College Centre College, formally Centre College of Kentucky, is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, United States. Chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819, the col ...

in Kentucky, graduating in 1926. Before becoming the head basketball coach at North Carolina, Skidmore had coached the North Carolina junior varsity and Charlotte High School teams. He retired from coaching in 1939 and moved to

Letcher County, Kentucky Letcher County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 21,548. Its county seat is Whitesburg, Kentucky, Whitesburg. It was created in 1842 f ...

. From 1955 to 1970, Skidmore operated the Tar Heel Motel in

Clinton, North Carolina Clinton ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,383. Clinton is named for Richard Clinton (politician), Richard Clinton, a ...

. In April 1993, Skidmore died in

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, Orange and Durham County, North Carolina, Durham counties, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 United States census, making Chapel Hill the List of municipa ...

, at age 89.

Head coaching record

References

;General * * * * ;Specific {{DEFAULTSORT:Skidmore, Walter 1903 births 1993 deaths American men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Kentucky High school basketball coaches in the United States North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball coaches People from Chapel Hill, North Carolina Centre College alumni People from Clinton, North Carolina