Branch McCracken
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Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Monrovia, Indiana, U.S. | June 9, 1908
Died | June 4, 1970 Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. | (aged 61)
Playing career | |
1928–1930 | Indiana |
Position(s) | guard |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1930–1938 | Ball State |
1938–1943 | Indiana |
1946–1965 | Indiana |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 450–231 |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
2 NCAA tournament (1940, 1953) 4 Big Ten regular season (1953, 1954, 1957, 1958) | |
Awards | |
Consensus All-American (1930) | |
Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1960 (profile) | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
Emmett B. "Branch" McCracken (June 9, 1908 – June 4, 1970) was an American
Playing career
As a player at Indiana, McCracken was a three-year letter winner. At 6'4" and 200 lb (91 kg), McCracken played center, forward and guard, pacing the Hoosiers in scoring for three years. His coach and predecessor, Hall of Fame coach Everett Dean, called McCracken "rough and tough."[1] McCracken never missed a game. Once, when slowed by injuries, he planted himself near the free throw line, back to the basket, from there passing off to players cutting by him or keeping the ball and rolling to the basket himself. "Once we saw what he could do, we let him go," Dean said. "He was one of the first college centers who played the pivot the way it's played today."[1]
McCracken scored 32.3 percent of the points his three Hoosier teams scored. He led the Big Ten Conference with a 12.3 average his senior year and graduated as the league's career scoring record holder.
McCracken was a consensus All-American in 1930. Upon his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960, he was the first man ever voted there for his performance as an Indiana player.
After his college career, McCracken played professional basketball for a few local and barnstorming teams, most notably the
Coaching career
Ball State
McCracken was the head coach for Ball State University from 1930–38 and compiled a 93–41 record. He led Ball State to the school's only victory over Indiana in school history in a year the Cardinals went 17–4.
Indiana
In 1938 McCracken succeeded Everett Dean and coached the Indiana University Hoosiers. His teams were known as the "Hurrying Hoosiers" because of McCracken's emphasis on the fast break. During his two spans at Indiana from 1938–1943 and 1946–1965 he compiled a 364–174 record. During the intermission from 1943 to 1946, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy, in World War II.
McCracken's first Indiana team was led by All-America
The Hoosiers'
In the fall of 1960 the Indiana Hoosiers football program was hit with devastating NCAA sanctions that impacted every varsity sport at the school, including basketball.[3] Although the violations only occurred within the football program, all Hoosier varsity sports were barred from postseason play during the probationary period.[3] The sanctions drastically undermined the ability of coaches to lure talented players to Indiana. Nevertheless, McCracken did manage to successfully recruit twins Dick Van Arsdale and Tom Van Arsdale, both of whom would earn All-America honors in 1965.
McCracken ultimately coached IU for 23 years, amassing 364 wins and 210 Big Ten wins.[2] His teams also won four regular season Big Ten titles and went to the NCAA tournament four times, winning two national titles.[2]
Death
McCracken died on June 4, 1970, from heart failure. He was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Hall, Indiana.[4]
Legacy
McCracken was enshrined in the
Head coaching record
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ball State Cardinals (Independent) (1930–1938) | |||||||||
1930–31 | Ball State | 9–5 | |||||||
1931–32 | Ball State | 9–7 | |||||||
1932–33 | Ball State | 7–9 | |||||||
1933–34 | Ball State | 9–10 | |||||||
1934–35 | Ball State | 9–9 | |||||||
1935–36 | Ball State | 13–7 | |||||||
1936–37 | Ball State | 13–6 | |||||||
1937–38 | Ball State | 17–4 | |||||||
Ball State: | 86–57 (.601) | ||||||||
Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten Conference) (1938–1943) | |||||||||
1938–39 | Indiana | 17–3 | 9–3 | 2nd | |||||
1939–40 | Indiana | 20–3 | 9–3 | 2nd | NCAA Champion | ||||
1940–41 | Indiana | 17–3 | 10–2 | 2nd | |||||
1941–42 | Indiana | 15–6 | 10–5 | T–2nd | |||||
1942–43 | Indiana | 18–2 | 11–2 | 2nd | |||||
Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten Conference) (1946–1965) | |||||||||
1946–47 | Indiana | 12–8 | 8–4 | T–2nd | |||||
1947–48 | Indiana | 8–12 | 3–9 | T–8th | |||||
1948–49 | Indiana | 14–8 | 6–6 | T–4th | |||||
1949–50 | Indiana | 17–5 | 7–5 | T–3rd | |||||
1950–51 | Indiana | 19–3 | 12–2 | 2nd | |||||
1951–52 | Indiana | 16–6 | 9–5 | 4th | |||||
1952–53 | Indiana | 23–3 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA Champion | ||||
1953–54 | Indiana | 20–4 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
1954–55 | Indiana | 8–14 | 5–9 | T–6th | |||||
1955–56 | Indiana | 13–9 | 6–8 | T–6th | |||||
1956–57 | Indiana | 14–8 | 10–4 | T–1st | |||||
1957–58 | Indiana | 13–11 | 10–4 | 1st | NCAA University Division Sweet 16 | ||||
1958–59 | Indiana | 11–11 | 7–7 | T–5th | |||||
1959–60 | Indiana | 20–4 | 11–3 | 2nd | |||||
1960–61 | Indiana | 15–9 | 8–6 | T–4th | |||||
1961–62 | Indiana | 14–9 | 7–7 | T–4th | |||||
1962–63 | Indiana | 13–11 | 9–5 | 3rd | |||||
1963–64 | Indiana | 9–15 | 5–9 | 8th | |||||
1964–65 | Indiana | 19–5 | 9–5 | 4th | |||||
Indiana: | 364–174 (.677) | 216–113 (.657) | |||||||
Total: | 450–231 (.661) | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
See also
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
References
- ^ ISBN 1-58261-068-1.
- ^ a b c d "Indiana University basketball history" (PDF). iuhoosiers.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ a b Spegele, Brian (February 22, 2008). "History repeats itself: Violations reminiscent of 1960 scandal". Indiana Daily Student. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^ "Branch McCracken". in.gov. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Historical Bureau. 16 December 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2021.