Ed Diddle
From Hoopedia
Edgar A. Diddle (March 12, 1895 in Gradyville, Kentucky, United States - January 2, 1970) was a college men's basketball coach.
He is best known for coaching at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from 1922 to 1964. Diddle became the first coach in history to coach 1,000 games at one school. Diddle was known for waving a red towel around along the sidelines during his games. He was known to wave, toss, and chew on this towel, and even cover his face in times of disappointment. His red towel is now part of WKU's official athletic logo. Diddle experienced only five losing seasons in 42 years and overall, averaged 25 wins per year.
While Diddle was best known for coaching men's basketball, he also coached football, baseball, and women's basketball at WKU, although men's basketball was his only coaching job for the vast majority of his tenure at the school.
He starred for Centre College's undefeated 1919 basketball team.
E. A. Diddle Arena, the basketball venue at WKU, built in 1963, is named for him.
Diddle's son, Ed Diddle, Jr. also coached college basketball. The two faced one another 12 times between 1957 and 1962 when the son was coach at Middle Tennessee State. The father's team won 11 times.
Diddle was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1972. He is also a member of the Western Kentucky Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
