Benjamin F. Van Alstyne (1893 – August 1972) 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 (appr ...

coach. The

Canajoharie, New York Canajoharie () is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Montgomery County, New York, Montgomery County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 3,730 in 2010. Canajoharie is located south of the Mohawk River o ...

native played college basketball, baseball and football at

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

, graduating in 1917. Following military service and a year of high school coaching in North Carolina, he became head coach of basketball and baseball, as well as assistant athletic director, at

Ohio Wesleyan Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Ohio Valley, Central Ohio residents as a nonsec ...

. He accepted the position of head basketball coach at

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

in 1926, which he continued until 1949. During his tenure the average final score increased from 28 to 46 as the game evolved toward its modern style. He was also a football assistant until 1932, at which time he was appointed head golf coach. He resigned from coaching basketball after developing vision problems, and tiring of the associated pressures. He continued coaching golf until retiring in 1959.

References

1893 births 1972 deaths American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from New York (state) Basketball players from New York (state) Colgate Raiders baseball players Colgate Raiders football players Colgate Raiders men's basketball players Michigan State Spartans men's basketball coaches Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops baseball coaches Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops men's basketball coaches People from Canajoharie, New York {{1890s-US-basketball-bio-stub