Leon Black (basketball)
![]() Black during the 1974–75 season | |
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | February 21, 1932 |
Died | October 12, 2021 Austin, Texas, U.S. | (aged 89)
Playing career | |
1950–1953 | Texas |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1959–1964 | Lon Morris College |
1964–1967 | Texas (assistant) |
1967–1976 | Texas |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 106–121 |
Tournaments | 1–3 (NCAA) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
2× SWC regular-season (1972, 1974) | |
Leon Black (February 21, 1932 – October 12, 2021) was an American college basketball coach.
Black, who coached the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team from 1967 to 1976, guided the Longhorns to two NCAA tournaments as a result of winning the Southwest Conference twice in his nine seasons as head coach. The Longhorns lost in the Sweet Sixteen in 1972 and the first round in 1974. Prior to his time at Texas, Black was head coach at junior college Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, compiling a 131–35 record in five seasons.[1]
Black resigned from Texas on February 28, 1976 and was replaced by Abe Lemons seventeen days later on March 16.[2]
Black died on October 12, 2021 in Austin, Texas, aged 89.[3][4]
Head coaching record
[edit]Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas Longhorns (Southwest Conference) (1967–1976) | |||||||||
1967–68 | Texas | 11–13 | 8–6 | T–2nd | |||||
1968–69 | Texas | 9–15 | 5–9 | T–6th | |||||
1969–70 | Texas | 11–13 | 6–8 | 6th | |||||
1970–71 | Texas | 12–12 | 6–8 | T–5th | |||||
1971–72 | Texas | 19–9 | 10–4 | T–1st | NCAA University Division Sweet 16 | ||||
1972–73 | Texas | 13–12 | 7–7 | T–5th | |||||
1973–74 | Texas | 12–15 | 11–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
1974–75 | Texas | 10–15 | 6–8 | T–4th | |||||
1975–76 | Texas | 9–17 | 4–12 | 8th | |||||
Texas: | 106–121 (.467) | 63–65 (.492) | |||||||
Total: | 106–121 (.467) | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
References
[edit]- ^ "Black promoted to top post". The Austin American. May 21, 1967. p. 58. Retrieved October 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dinkin, Naomi (March 17, 1976). "People in Sports". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ^ "Former Texas men's basketball coach Leon Black dies at 89 years old". Dallas News. October 13, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ^ "Former Men's Basketball player and coach Leon Black passes away". Texassports.com. October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- 1932 births
- 2021 deaths
- American men's basketball coaches
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball coaches from Texas
- Basketball players from Texas
- College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
- Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States
- People from Van Zandt County, Texas
- Texas Longhorns men's basketball coaches
- Texas Longhorns men's basketball players
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- Basketball biography stubs