Harry Douglass Hough (June 1, 1883 – April 20, 1935) was a professional basketball player and college coach. He played professionally for 22 seasons and is considered the first dominant player in the pro game.
In 1908 the Pittsburgh South Side team paid him $300 a month to play for them, making him the highest paid basketball player in the world. He also served as the head coach at the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
Panthers basketball team during the 1907–08 season guiding his team to a 10–6 record, while also attending the university's
chemistry department. He also coached at
Princeton University during the 1910–11 season.
In the 1909–10 season, playing for
Pittsburgh South Side The Pittsburgh South Side was an American basketball team that was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was a member of the Central Basketball League and the various incarnations of the Western Pennsylvania Basketball League.
History
The Pittsburg ...
in the
Central Basketball League
The Central Basketball League was an early regional professional or semi-pro basketball league based in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The league disbanded on November 12, 1912, after playing a few exhibition games. Joseph "Joe" Meech Leithead served as S ...
Hough made 963 free throws, the most free throws recorded by any professional player in a single season.
In that era each team designated a player to shoot all team free throws.
Historical Dictionary of Basketball
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References
External links
Pro Basketball Encyclopedia
1883 births
1935 deaths
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from New Jersey
Basketball players from Trenton, New Jersey
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball coaches
Princeton Tigers men's basketball coaches
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