Ronald L. Greene (December 27, 1938 – March 31, 2021) 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
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
who served as head coach of three Division I
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 ...
teams, as well as teams in Division II, the
World Basketball League World Basketball League (WBL) was a minor professional basketball league in the United States and Canada that ran from 1988 to 1992. It was founded as the International Basketball Association in November 1987, before changing its name prior to the 1 ...
, the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
, and high school.
Early career
Born in
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
, Greene was a high school star for the legendary
Howard Sharpe at Terre Haute's Gerstmeyer Tech High. He began his college career as a freshmen member of the
Bradley Braves
The Bradley Braves are the intercollegiate athletics teams of Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, United States. The Braves' athletic program is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I leve ...
; he subsequently transferred to
Murray State
Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, ...
, completing his eligibility under Head Coach
Cal Luther
Calvin Charles Luther (October 23, 1927 – May 8, 2021) was an American men's college basketball coach. He was the head coach at DePauw, Murray State, Longwood, UT Martin, and Bethel College. He was also head coach of the Egyptian national te ...
. While at Murray, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education and was a member of
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more tha ...
fraternity. His coaching career began in 1965 at
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a Private university, private Jesuit university in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name o ...
where he was an assistant coach under Head Coach Bill Gardiner. The team went 9–17 in his only season as an assistant before being promoted to the head coach position. He spent two seasons as Head Coach before moving across town to assume control of the
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High rese ...
program.
University of New Orleans
Greene was hired by UNO when the school began intercollegiate varsity competition in 1969–70 season. He compiled a 149–64 (.700) record in eight seasons; leading the Privateers to a #1 final ranking for the 1970–71 season and a #2 final ranking for the 1974–75 season. Four of his teams qualified for NCAA tournaments. The Privateers finished fourth in 1974 Division II tourney and second in the 1975 tourney. Greene paved the way for the Privateers’ move to Division I in the 1975–76 season.
Mississippi State University
Greene only spent the 1977–1978 season with the Bulldogs. That year, the Bulldogs finished with an 18–9 record. Several hours after The Associated Press had named him the
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...
basketball coach of the year and the Mississippi state board had voted him a $7,500 raise, Greene announced he was leaving the job to become coach of his alma mater Murray State.
Murray State University
After managing only 4 wins in his first season in Murray, Greene coached the Racers to 23 wins the following year and an appearance in the
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
. The Racers knocked off
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
and
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
before losing to
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
65–63 in the Quarterfinals. Greene's Racers would reach the NIT twice more before he left in 1985. His overall record at Murray was 119–78. While at the Racer helm, Greene coached Racer greats, such as Gary Hooker and Lamont Sleets.
Indiana State University
Greene returned to his native Terre Haute in 1985 when he became head coach of the Indiana State Sycamores. Greene inherited a young team and finished 11–17 in his first season as head coach. The team, however never matched this success and Greene resigned after an abysmal 4–24 record in the 1988–89 season. His overall record at ISU was 31–82.
One of his players was Eddie Bird, the younger brother of NBA player
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
.
Later career
Greene was head coach of the Nashville Stars during the 1991 WBL season. The Stars went 23–28 in their first and only season of existence. He resigned in July 1991 to become the 12th head coach at Calloway County High School. His tenure at Calloway County started rough, including a 16-game losing streak in his first season. Greene posted a few good seasons for the Lakers including a 23–6 season as well as two 17–9 seasons, spending 8 years at Calloway. He resigned following the 1999 season and former Murray State and Western Kentucky player Terry Birdsong took over. He returned to coaching in 2007 when he was named head coach of the
ABA’s
Kentucky Retros. In 2008 Greene was named head coach at Murray High School. He retired after the 2010–11 season.
Greene died on March 31, 2021, in
Murray, Kentucky
Murray is a home rule-class city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of Calloway County and the 19th-largest city in Kentucky. The city's population was 17,741 during the 2010 U.S. census, and its micropolitan area's po ...
, at age 82.
Head coaching record
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Ron
1939 births
2021 deaths
American Basketball Association (2000–present) coaches
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Indiana
Basketball players from Indiana
College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
High school basketball coaches in Kentucky
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball coaches
Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball coaches
Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball coaches
Murray State Racers men's basketball coaches
Murray State Racers men's basketball players
New Orleans Privateers men's basketball coaches
Sportspeople from Terre Haute, Indiana