Tony Yates
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 15, 1937 Lawrenceburg, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 16, 2020 (aged 82) Mason, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1960–1963 | Cincinnati |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1972–1974 | Cincinnati (assistant) |
| 1974–1983 | Illinois (assistant) |
| 1983–1989 | Cincinnati |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 70–100 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Awards | |
| |
Tony Yates (September 15, 1937[1] – May 16, 2020) was an American college basketball player and head coach for the Cincinnati Bearcats. As a player, he won consecutive national championships with Cincinnati in 1961 and 1962. Yates was named a third-team All-American in 1963, when the Bearcats advanced to the national championship game for the third straight season. In the 1980s he was the head coach at Cincinnati for six seasons.
Early life
Yates was born in
College career
Yates decided to pursue college basketball again, even though he was now 22. This time he accepted a partial scholarship offer from Cincinnati, and he played on the freshman team in 1959–60. In his sophomore season of 1960–61, the now 23-year-old "Gramps", as he was nicknamed by players, was a starting guard for the Bearcats.[1]
As a
As a junior in 1961–62, Yates averaged 8.2 points per game and led the Bearcats in assists with 4.3 per game.
As a senior in 1962–63, Yates averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 assists per game. The Bearcats won the MVC title once again and posted a 26–2 record, advancing to the national title game for the third consecutive year. However, they fell in the finals 60–58 in overtime to Loyola University Chicago.[6] Yates was again named All-MVC[6] as well as first team All-American by the Helms Foundation, third-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP) and National Association of Basketball Coaches along with honorable mention by UPI and The Sporting News.[7]
In tribute to Yates' defensive prowess, he was a three-year winner of the Bearcats' Best Defensive Player award for his efforts in helping UC finish fourth and first, respectively in the 1962 and 1963 NCAA national defensive rankings.[7]
Yates was drafted in the fifth round (41st overall) of the
Coaching career
He returned to the University of Cincinnati as an assistant coach under
Known as a top recruiter, Yates served as an Illinois assistant for nine seasons, through the 1982–83 season.[10]
For the 1983–84 season, Yates was named head coach at his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, for a squad which had gone 11-17 the previous season under coach Ed Badger. Inheriting a depleted team with few scholarship players, the Bearcats posted a 3–25 record in Yates' first season of 1983–84.[11] However, in 1984–85, with an infusion of talent including guard Roger McClendon and forward Myron Hughes, Yates' team rapidly turned around their fortunes and posted a 17–14 record, earning an NIT berth.[11]
In 1985–86, the team struggled again, going 12–16, followed by seasons of 12–16, 12–16, and 11–17. In 1988–89, Yates' sixth as head coach, the team returned to its winning ways, posting a 15–12 record. However, it wasn't enough as Yates was fired and later replaced by Bob Huggins.[11] Yates' UC career ended with a record of 70-100.[11]
Personal life
Yates and his wife, Maxine, were the parents of Anthony and Brianna.[4]
After coaching at Cincinnati, Yates, who had been a passive investor in a Cincinnati area automobile dealership owned by longtime UC booster Jeff Wyler, took an active management role with the firm.[12]
Yates and golf pro Zachary Fink founded the Caring for Kids Foundation, a Cincinnati non-profit to "uplift, assist, and train youth and their families."[13]
Yates is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. In 1985, Yates was inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame.[7] Yates was inducted in the 2020 class of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.[14]
Yates died on May 16, 2020.[9]
References
- ^ ISBN 9781582617459.
- ^ "Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home: Obituaries". www.donnellyscolonial.com. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ "All-Time State Tournament Participants" (PDF). OHSAA.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home: Obituaries". www.donnellyscolonial.com. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- ISBN 9780738551449.
- ^ a b c d "2010–11 Men's Basketball Media Supplement" (PDF). GoBearcats.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Tony Yates". GoBearcats.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016.
- ^ "1963 NBA Draft - Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Perry, Michael (May 17, 2020). "Tony Yates: Former University of Cincinnati basketball player and coach dies at 82". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ "ILLINOIS BASKETBALL HISTORY". Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Bearcat Basketball History" (PDF). UCBearcats.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.
- ^ "Selling Cars Ok For Ex-cincy Coach Yates". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ "Tony Yates Caring For Kids Foundation". tonyyatesfoundation.com. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ "Tony Yates". ohiobasketballhalloffame.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.