Charlie Coles (February 6, 1942 – June 7, 2013) was an American
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
coach and the former men's basketball head coach at
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
and
Central Michigan University.
He was born Charles Leroy Coles in
Springfield, Ohio and later moved in with his grandparents in nearby
Yellow Springs, where he attended Bryan High School. He led the state in scoring as a senior, averaging 42.1 points per game, including one game of 65 points, and graduated in 1959. His number 33 was retired by now
Yellow Springs High School
Yellow Springs High School is a public high school in Yellow Springs, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Yellow Springs Exempted Village Schools district, teaching grades 9-12. Their mascot is a bulldog.
The school is part of the Metro Bucke ...
in a ceremony Coles attended in 2000.
He then went to Miami University in
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...
, where he again excelled in basketball from 1962 to 1965. He earned second-team All-MAC
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
honors both his junior and senior seasons, averaging double figures in scoring all three seasons, including a career-high 18.5 points per game as a junior. He averaged 15.4 points per game in his Miami career, shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 80.2 percent from the free throw line.
He earned a bachelor of arts degree in physical education.
After graduating from Miami, he became a long-time successful high school basketball coach, beginning in Springfield and Yellow Springs before serving as head coach at
Saginaw High School
Saginaw High School (part of the Saginaw City School District) is located in Saginaw, Michigan, USA. The student enrollment is 593 students.
History
The school was established in 1865 as East Side High School. Alice Freeman Palmer, who later be ...
in
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
. He coached the Trojans from 1972 to 1982, leading them to two state championship appearances.
He then moved on to the college ranks, serving as an assistant coach at the
University of Detroit
The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic univers ...
from 1982 to 1985.
Coles was the men's basketball head coach at
Central Michigan University from 1986 to 1991. He compiled a 92–84 mark in his six seasons with the Chippewas, including 22–8 in 1986–87. Coles was named Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year that season after leading CMU to the MAC regular-season and tournament championships and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. That team was led by future NBA All-Star
Dan Majerle
Daniel Lewis Majerle (; born September 9, 1965), also known by the nickname "Thunder Dan", is an American former professional basketball player and former coach of the Grand Canyon Antelopes. He played 14 years in the National Basketball Associat ...
.
From 1992 to 1994 he served as head coach at Central Catholic High School in
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
, with a record of 32–16 there.
Coles returned to college coaching at Miami as an assistant coach from 1994 to 1996. In 1996, he was named Miami's head coach when
Herb Sendek
Herbert Joseph Sendek Jr. (born February 22, 1963) is an American college basketball coach who is the current men's basketball head coach at Santa Clara.
Early life
Herbert Joseph Sendek, Jr. of Slovak descent, grew up in Pittsburgh and attended ...
left Miami for
North Carolina State University. Coles won three MAC regular-season crowns (1997, 1999 and 2005) while leading the RedHawks to appearances in the championship game of the MAC Tournament his first five years. The RedHawks won the MAC tournament title in 1997 and 2007.
In 1999, Coles and the RedHawks, led by future
NBA forward
Wally Szczerbiak
Walter Robert Szczerbiak Jr. ( ; born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current color analyst for the New York Knicks on MSG Network. He played 10 seasons for four teams in the National Basketball Associat ...
, reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 before falling to the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...
.
Coles was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2005. On January 20, 2009, Coles recorded his 217th win at Miami, surpassing
Darrell Hedric to become the school's winningest coach. Coles became the all-time MAC wins leader when he picked up his 195th conference victory by beating
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subseq ...
79–67 on January 16, 2010. Coles finished his career with 219 MAC wins.
While coaching at Miami, he also taught a class in basketball coaching theory. His contributions to Miami, including as player, coach, teacher and mentor, led to his induction into Miami's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
At the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, Coles retired after 16 seasons at Miami.
Coles died June 7, 2013 at the age of 71.
The funeral service was held at Miami University's basketball arena,
Millett Hall
Millett Hall () is a basketball arena in Oxford, Ohio. It is home to the Miami University men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball teams. It is also the home of the ROTC program and various university events. It is named after Miami U ...
. He was buried in Oxford Cemetery near the Miami campus.
Coles was survived by his wife, Delores, son
Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
*Chris Abani (born 1966), Nige ...
, daughter Mary Bennett, and four grandchildren.
Head coaching record
References
External links
Miami profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coles, Charlie
1942 births
2013 deaths
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American people
African-American basketball coaches
African-American basketball players
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Ohio
Basketball players from Ohio
Burials at Oxford Cemetery, Oxford, Ohio
Central Michigan Chippewas men's basketball coaches
College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Detroit Mercy Titans men's basketball coaches
High school basketball coaches in Michigan
High school basketball coaches in Ohio
Miami RedHawks men's basketball coaches
Miami RedHawks men's basketball players
Sportspeople from Springfield, Ohio