Eugene R. "Bumper" Tormohlen (May 12, 1937 – December 27, 2018) was an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player and coach. He was born and raised in Holland, Indiana; he attended Holland High and helped lead the Dutchmen to an IHSAA Sectional in 1953. He was recruited to the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

by former Purdue star

Emmett Lowery Emmett Preston Lowery Jr. (November 11, 1911 – December 19, 1975) was an American football and basketball coach. An Indiana native, he was a protege of Ward Lambert and college teammate of John Wooden. He also played football for Noble Kizer, w ...

. During his time in Knoxville, Bumper became a 3-year starter, set the Tennessee career rebounding record (1,113

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

), a 16.9 rpg rate; was twice named All-SEC and was named to

Converse Converse may refer to: Mathematics and logic * Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement ** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication ** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...

's All-American team and become known to scores of Vols fans as the "Chairman of the Boards." After a splendid college career at the

, Tormohlen was selected with the fifth pick in the second round of the 1959 NBA draft by the

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA history in wins and playoff appearances. 1946– ...

. However, his first years as a pro were spent in the NIBL with the

Cleveland Pipers The Cleveland Pipers were an American industrial basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Pipers are mostly known for having played in the short-lived American Basketball League from 1961–62. They were also a p ...

before being traded to the

Kansas City Steers The Kansas City Steers were an American basketball team based in Kansas City, Missouri from 1961 to 1963. They were a member of the American Basketball League History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, an ...

in the fledgling American Basketball League. After two seasons in that league, he moved to the NBA, joining the

St. Louis Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

) in 1962. His entire NBA playing career was with the Hawks; five seasons in St. Louis and one season in Atlanta. He retired as an NBA player in 1970, having spent the 1968-68 & 1969-70 seasons as a player-coach for the Hawks. He was a member of the 1970 Western Division champions during his final season in uniform. He remained with the Hawks, becoming an assistant coach for four seasons. With the Hawks at 28–46 and mired in a ten-game losing streak, he was promoted to replace

Cotton Fitzsimmons Lowell Gibbs "Cotton" Fitzsimmons (October 7, 1931 – July 24, 2004) was an American college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Bowling Green, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal, M ...

on an interim basis on March 30, 1976. The next season, the team hired

Hubie Brown Hubert Jude Brown (born September 25, 1933) is an American retired basketball coach and player and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years. Brown was inducted into the Naism ...

as their full-time head coach. He spent several seasons as the Director of College Scouting for the Los Angeles Lakers. Tormohlen died on December 27, 2018, at age 81.

References

External links

BasketballReference: Gene Tormohlen (as player)

Gene Tormohlen Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tormohlen, Bumper 1937 births 2018 deaths People from Dubois County, Indiana American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks assistant coaches Atlanta Hawks head coaches Atlanta Hawks players Basketball coaches from Indiana Basketball players from Indiana Centers (basketball) Cleveland Pipers players Kansas City Steers players Phoenix Suns expansion draft picks Power forwards (basketball) St. Louis Hawks players Syracuse Nationals draft picks Tennessee Volunteers basketball players