Gus Ganakas
| Sport(s) | Men's basketball |
|---|---|
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Michigan State | 1969–1976 |
Gus G. Ganakas (born July 3, 1926) is an American sports broadcaster and former Michigan State Spartans men's basketball coach. He was the head coach there from 1969–76.
Ganakas is a native of Mount Morris, New York. He attended Michigan State University (MSU) from 1946 to 1950 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. After graduation from MSU, Gus taught and coached basketball at East Lansing High School, where he won the 1958 State of Michigan High School Championship, posting an undefeated season. In 1964 he became the Coordinator of the Ralph Young Fund, MSU's athletic fund-raising organization. A passion for sports led him back to the world of basketball when Coach John Benington hired him as his MSU assistant basketball coach in 1966. Three years later, with the sudden death of Coach Benington, Gus became the head basketball coach for the Spartans, from 1969–76, compiling an 89–84 record. Also he trained in Uruguay.
As of the 2015-16 season, Ganakas has spent 31 years as a radio analyst on the Spartan Sports Network. He is an active member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. From 1976-98, he served as assistant athletics director and from 1998-2000, Ganakas served as a special assistant to head coach Tom Izzo, directing the activities surrounding MSU Basketball’s Centennial in 1998-99.
In 2002, Ganakas became the sixth recipient of the Men's Basketball Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Ganakas was married to his wife Ruth who died in 2014.
He resides in the Lansing area.
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