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Ray Meyer

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Ray Meyer
Meyer from the 1970 DePaulian
Biographical details
Born(1913-12-18)December 18, 1913
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMarch 17, 2006(2006-03-17) (aged 92)
Wheeling, Illinois, U.S.
Playing career
1930-1932St. Patrick Academy
1935–1938Notre Dame
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1942–1984DePaul
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1945–1974DePaul
Head coaching record
Overall724–354
Tournaments14–16 (NCAA Division I)
10–8 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 NCAA Regional—Final Four (1943, 1979)
NIT (1945)
Awards
2× AP Coach of the Year (1980, 1984)
2x Henry Iba Award (1978, 1980)
NABC Coach of the Year (1979)
2× UPI Coach of the Year (1980, 1984)
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1979 (profile)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Raymond Joseph Meyer (December 18, 1913 – March 17, 2006) was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois.[1] He was well known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record.[2]

Career

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Meyer coached DePaul to 21 post-season appearances (13 NCAA, eight NIT). In total, Meyer recorded 37 winning seasons and twelve 20-win seasons, including seven straight from 1978 to 1984. Two Meyer-coached teams reached the Final Four (1943 and 1979), and in 1945, Meyer led DePaul past Bowling Green to capture the National Invitation Tournament, the school's only post-season title.[2]

Red Rolfe and Meyer in 1942

Meyer coached a College All-Star team that played a coast-to-coast series against the Harlem Globetrotters for 11 years. One of his best players was George Mikan, who was a game-changing player and basketball's first great "big man". Meyer recruited Mikan from Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, a school Meyer had himself earlier attended. Other top players coached by Meyer include former NBA players Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings. During Meyer's tenure the basketball rivalry between DePaul and Loyola reached an extremely high level. Meyer's great-great nephew, Mike Starkman, played basketball for Loyola as a walk-on. Meyer was a much-beloved figure in Chicago, and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[2]

Meyer's final game as a head coach was the Blue Demons' 73–71 overtime loss to Wake Forest in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals at St. Louis Arena on March 23, 1984.[3] Two of his sons were also NCAA Division I men's basketball head coaches. Tom Meyer served at the University of Illinois at Chicago for six years from 1977 to his dismissal on April 16, 1983.[4] Joey Meyer took the helm of the Blue Demons upon his father's retirement and stayed at DePaul until his resignation on April 28, 1997.[5]

Meyer also ran a summer basketball camp near Three Lakes in northern Wisconsin for many years.

Meyer died at age 92 at the Addolorata Villa assisted living facility in Wheeling, Illinois on March 17, 2006.[6]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Postseason
DePaul Blue Demons (NCAA University Division / Division I independent) (1942–1984)
1942–43 DePaul 19–5 NCAA Final Four
1943–44 DePaul 22–4 NIT Runner-up
1944–45 DePaul 21–3 NIT Champion
1945–46 DePaul 19–5
1946–47 DePaul 16–9
1947–48 DePaul 22–8 NIT semifinal
1948–49 DePaul 16–9
1949–50 DePaul 12–13
1950–51 DePaul 13–12
1951–52 DePaul 19–8
1952–53 DePaul 19–9 NCAA Regional Fourth Place
1953–54 DePaul 11–10
1954–55 DePaul 16–6
1955–56 DePaul 16–8 NCAA first round
1956–57 DePaul 8–14
1957–58 DePaul 8–12
1958–59 DePaul 13–11 NCAA University Division Regional Fourth Place
1959–60 DePaul 17–7 NCAA University Division Regional Third Place
1960–61 DePaul 17–8 NIT first round
1961–62 DePaul 13–10
1962–63 DePaul 15–8 NIT first round
1963–64 DePaul 21–4 NIT first round
1964–65 DePaul 17–10 NCAA University Division Regional Fourth Place
1965–66 DePaul 18–8 NIT first round
1966–67 DePaul 17–8
1967–68 DePaul 13–12
1968–69 DePaul 14–11
1969–70 DePaul 12–13
1970–71 DePaul 8–17
1971–72 DePaul 12–11
1972–73 DePaul 14–11
1973–74 DePaul 16–9
1974–75 DePaul 15–10
1975–76 DePaul 20–9 NCAA Division I Sweet 16
1976–77 DePaul 15–12
1977–78 DePaul 27–3 NCAA Division I Elite Eight
1978–79 DePaul 26–6 NCAA Division I Third Place
1979–80 DePaul 26–2 NCAA Division I second round
1980–81 DePaul 27–2 NCAA Division I second round
1981–82 DePaul 26–2 NCAA Division I second round
1982–83 DePaul 21–12 NIT Runner-up
1983–84 DePaul 27–3 NCAA Division I Sweet 16
DePaul: 724–354
Total: 724–354

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ray Meyer". sports-reference.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Raymond J. "Ray" Meyer". hoophall.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  3. ^ Cress, Doug. "Wake Forest Retires Meyer," The Washington Post, Saturday, March 24, 1984. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Former University of Illinois at Chicago basketball coach R....," United Press International (UPI), Thursday, April 21, 1983. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "Joey Meyer out as DePaul coach," United Press International (UPI), Monday, April 28, 1997. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "Legendary Basketball Coach Ray Meyer, 92, Dies," DePaul University, Friday, March 17, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
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