George King
From Hoopedia
George Smith King (August 16, 1928 – October 5, 2006) was an American professional basketball player and collegiate coach. He was born in Charleston, West Virginia.
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Professional career
Syracuse Nationals, Cincinnati Royals
1952–1958
In 1955, King led the Syracuse Nationals to the NBA Finals, where he hit the series-clinching free throws and had a key steal to win the championship. After five seasons with the Nationals, he spent a season coaching college basketball for Morris Harvey College for a season, before returning for his last season in the NBA with the Cincinnati Royals.
College coaching career
West Virginia
1958-1965
George King began his coaching career at University of West Virginia as an assistant. In 1961, he became the head coach. He coached the Mountaineers with an overall record of 102-43 and led them to three Southern Conference tournament championships.
Purdue
1966-1972
King moved on to coaching at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, taking over for Ray Eddy at the head coaching position. During his tenure, he compiled a 109–64 record. He won a Big Ten Championship, and took the Boilermakers to its only NCAA Finals appearance in 1969, losing to John Wooden's UCLA. He served as the school's athletic director following his coaching stint, being replaced by another former West Virginia coach, Fred Schaus. He is a member of the Purdue Athletic Hall of Fame.
External links
- NBA statistics at basketballreference.com
- Obituary
