Jack Friel
| Sport(s) | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
August 26, 1898 Waterville, Washington |
| Died | December 12, 1995 (aged 97) Pullman, Washington |
| Playing career | |
| 1920–1923 | Washington State |
| Position(s) | Forward |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1923–1925 | Colville HS |
| 1925–1928 | North Central HS |
| 1928–1958 | Washington State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1963–1971 | Big Sky (commissioner) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 495–377 (.568) – (college) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Pacific Coast: 1941 | |
John Bryan "Jack" Friel (August 26, 1898 – December 12, 1995) was an American college basketball coach, the head coach of the Washington State Cougars for 30 seasons, from 1928 to 1958. He holds the school record for victories by a men's basketball coach with 495, and led Washington State to the 1941 NCAA Tournament championship game. He was later the first commissioner of the Big Sky Conference.
Born in Waterville, Washington, Friel enrolled at Washington State College in 1916, then served in Europe during World War I. He returned to Pullman after the war and was the captain of the basketball team, earning all-conference honors in 1922. He claimed six varsity letters, and in 18 starts as a baseball pitcher had a win–loss record of 15–1.
Following graduation in 1923, Friel coached high school basketball, first at Colville, then at North Central in Spokane, winning the state title in his third and final season at North Central.
He became the head basketball coach at his alma mater in 1928, and his team posted a 9–14 record in his first season. Washington State increased its victory total each of the next three seasons, winning 22 games in 1931–32. The Cougars won at least 20 games in 10 of Friel's 30 seasons as head coach, and had 21 winning seasons. The 1940–41 team was Friel's only one to make the NCAA Tournament. One of three Washington State teams to win a Pacific Coast Conference divisional championship under Friel, the 1940–41 Cougars won the conference title, and won two games in the NCAA Tournament to advance to the final, where they lost 39–34 to Wisconsin. Friel has been credited as helping to change free throw rules in college basketball. In addition to his duties as basketball coach, Friel was Washington State's baseball coach from 1943 to 1945 and a college football official; he was originally selected to officiate the 1942 Rose Bowl, but his basketball schedule prevented him from serving as referee.
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