Gene Bartow dead at 81

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Sycamore Proud

The Nicks Level
Former Valpo coach Gene Bartow has died from stomach cancer. Better known for following John Wooden at UCLA he coached the Crusaders in the '60's. Wooden and Bartow--the Indiana and Indiana Collegiate Conference to UCLA. Bartow was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on November 22, 2009,
 
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Sycamore Proud said:
Former Valpo coach Gene Bartow has to stomach cancer. Better known for following John Wooden at UCLA he coached the Crusaders in the '60's. Wooden and Bartow--the Indiana and Indiana Collegiate Conference to UCLA. Bartow was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on November 22, 2009,
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Why'd he leave UCLA?
 
4Q_iu said:
Why'd he leave UCLA?
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Bartow left UCLA after the 1977 season to take over the job of creating an athletic program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, more commonly known as UAB. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT in the program's second year of existence, and followed that up with seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982.

No, I didn't have this in memory, but Wikepedia did.
 
Back in the 60's, his Valpo squads were always highly competitive in the ICC, which was w/o a doubt, the TOUGHEST NCAA Small College conference in America. Great coaches in Bartow, Klueh and McCutchan.
 
Sycamore Proud said:
Bartow left UCLA after the 1977 season to take over the job of creating an athletic program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, more commonly known as UAB. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT in the program's second year of existence, and followed that up with seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982.

No, I didn't have this in memory, but Wikepedia did.
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I knew where he went but not sure of the WHY. You're AT UCLA, hard to believe UAB offered more $$$ unless he just didn't want to try and live up to Wooden (but if that were true, he'd have stayed at Illinois...)

Know the UAB community is / was fond of him
 

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Ya...but for some reason, I was thinking that Butler wasn't part of the ICC. Neural cell loss over time...:verysad:

St Jos
Valpo
Depauw
Evansville
ISU
Ball State
Butler
 
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4Q_iu said:
I knew where he went but not sure of the WHY. You're AT UCLA, hard to believe UAB offered more $$$ unless he just didn't want to try and live up to Wooden (but if that were true, he'd have stayed at Illinois...)

Know the UAB community is / was fond of him
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I don't believe he was on the best of terms with the UCLANS when he left if you know what I mean.
 
Sycamore Proud said:
I don't believe he was on the best of terms with the UCLANS when he left if you know what I mean.
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Wooden always said he knew he'd made the right decision to retire when a fan "congratulated" him on the 1975 title by saying 'thanks, that makes up for last year...'
 
UCLA during the 60's & 70's was college basketball...period. Their fans only knew "Championship" & winning. They were the Yankees of amateur sport in America, although I use that term loosely. Can you imagine the pressure surrounding the replacement of the greatest coach in NCAA history in the LARGEST TV market in the World...alongside the political & social unrest of the time, centered much in CA. Not exactly a coaches "dream job."
 

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Didn't he lead UCLA to the final four and that year still disappointed the UCLA fans? That would have been a clear signal to start looking for another job.
 
I can't imagine any collegiate job being tougher than following John Wooden at UCLA. I think Bartow enjoyed the challenges of starting a D1 program at UAB. Winning basketball games was just a small part of this role there.
 
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