Jack Gray (basketball)
| Sport(s) | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
May 12, 1911 Van Zandt County, Texas |
| Died | March 7, 1992 (aged 80) Austin, Texas |
| Playing career | |
| 1932–1935 | Texas |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1936–1942, 1945–1951 |
Texas |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 194–97(.667) |
| Tournaments | 2–3(.400) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 3× SWC championship (1939, 1947, 1951) NCAA Final Four (1947) |
|
| Awards | |
| Helms Foundation All-American (1935) | |
Jack Gray (May 12, 1911 – March 7, 1992 ), was an American college basketball player and coach.
Gray played for the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team from 1933 to 1935. As a player he set a Southwest Conference record with 32 points in 1933 which stood for sixteen years. Gray was a First-Team All-American guard in 1935 and was All-SWC all three years of his varsity career. He was known for his one-handed "push" shot, a precursor of the jump shot.
With one year of coaching experience took over the coaching job at age 25. In his first six years as coach beginning in 1937, he led the Longhorns to five winning seasons and led the Longhorns to their first Elite Eight in the first NCAA Tournament in 1939. After returning from World War II, Gray led the Longhorns to their first Final Four in the 1947 NCAA Tournament. He coached Basketball Hall of Famer Slater Martin from 1944 to 1949.
Gray got his team in the National Invitation Tournament in 1948, their first AP Poll ranking (#20 in 1949).
He ranks third all-time in Longhorns basketball history in wins with 194 victories to 97 losses, and also had a final Southwest Conference record of 89-55. He was head coach for 12 years, which as of 2011, ranked as the second-longest basketball coaching term at University of Texas.
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