Hugh Greer (1902 – January 14, 1963) was the
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The UConn Huskies men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team of the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut. They currently play in the Big East Conference (Big East) and are coached by Dan Hurley.
The Husk ...
coach from 1946 to 1963.
Biography
Early life and education
Born in
Suffield, Connecticut
Suffield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It was once within the boundaries of Massachusetts. The town is located in the Connecticut River Valley with the town of Enfield, Connecticut, Enfiel ...
, Hugh Greer went to school at Connecticut Agricultural College (CAC, now
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
). As a basketball player at CAC, Greer helped lead his school to a New England Conference championship in 1926.
Coaching career
Greer coached basketball at
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
from 1947 to 1963.
As coach of the
Huskies
Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...
he led UConn to 7
NCAA Tournaments and 1
NIT berth. He would end his career with a record of 286–112 for a .719 win percentage.
He was the winningest coach in Connecticut history until
Jim Calhoun
James A. Calhoun (born May 10, 1942) is a longtime college basketball coach. He is best known for his tenure as head coach of the University of Connecticut (UConn) men's basketball team. His teams won three NCAA national championships ( 1999, ...
passed him in 1998. As head coach, he won 12 Yankee Conference Championships overall and 10 consecutively from the 1950–51 season to the 1959–60 season.
In 1954, he famously led UConn to a 78–77 victory against undefeated
Holy Cross breaking the
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
' 47-game home winning streak. Eventually, Holy Cross won the NIT title. In 1956, Greer led UConn to the Sweet 16, where they lost in a close game to
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. He led UConn until he died on January 14, 1963, of a massive heart attack. Assistant George Wigton finished out the season and led them to the NCAA Tournament. UConn credits the first 10 games of the season to Greer and the rest of the season (including the NCAA Tournament) to Wigton.
Head coaching record
Awards
*1957: University of Connecticut Distinguished Alumni Award
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greer, Hugh
1902 births
1963 deaths
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Connecticut
Basketball players from Connecticut
People from Suffield, Connecticut
UConn Huskies athletic directors
UConn Huskies men's basketball coaches
UConn Huskies men's basketball players