Billy Tubbs
Billy Tubbs (1935-2020)
Teams coached: Southwestern Pirates, Lamar Cardinals, Oklahoma Sooners, TCU Horned Frogs
Southwestern record^: 31-24 (.564)
Lamar record: 121-89 (.576)
Oklahoma record: 333-132 (.716)
TCU record: 156-95 (.622)
Overall record^: 641-340 (.653)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1988)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 12 (1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1998)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 5 (1980, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (1988)
- NIT Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1991)
- NIT Appearances: 6 (1982, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999)
- WAC Regular Season Champion: 1 (1998)
- Big Eight Regular Season Champion: 4 (1984, 1985, 1988, 1989)
- Southland Regular Season Champion: 3 (1978, 1979, 1980)
- Big Eight Tournament Champion: 3 (1985, 1988, 1990)
Awards:
- WAC Coach of the Year: 1 (1998)
- Southwest Coach of the Year: 1 (1995)
- Big Eight Coach of the Year: 4 (1984, 1985, 1988, 1989)
- Southland Coach of the Year: 2 (1978, 1980)
- NABC Golden Anniversary Award (2016)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2003-2006 | Lamar |
| 1994-2002 | TCU |
| 1980-1994 | Oklahoma |
| 1976-1980 | Lamar |
| 1973-1976 | North Texas State (asst) |
| 1971-1973 | Southwestern |
| 1960-1971 | Lamar (asst) |
Billy Tubbs Facts
- Billy Duane Tubbs
- Born March 5, 1935
- Died November 1, 2020
- Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
- Alma Mater: Lamar State College of Technology (BS, 1957)
- Raised in Tulsa and attended Central HS and Lon Morris JC before graduating from what is now Lamar University in 1957
- Played basketball for two seasons under longtime Cardinals’ head coach Jack Martin
- Joined Martin’s staff in 1960, staying there until 1971 when he was hired as head coach at D-III Southwestern (TX)
- After two years at Southwestern and three years coaching under Gene Robbins and Bill Blakeley at North Texas State, Tubbs returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1976
- Took the Cardinals to two NCAA Tournaments in four years before leaving for Oklahoma in 1980
- In 14 seasons, Tubbs won 333 games, went to 4 NITs and 9 NCAA Tournaments; Sooners were 1988 NCAA Runner-Up
- Was head coach at TCU for eight seasons, leading the Frogs to a WAC title and NCAA Tournament berth in 1998
- Returned to Lamar in 2002 as Director of Athletics; took on the second position of head basketball coach starting in 2003-04
- After three years, resigned as head coach but remained as Director of Athletics until retiring in August 2011
- Tubbs passed away in Norman, OK on 11/1/2020 at the age of 85 after battling a form of leukemia
- Along with his wife, Pat, has one son and one daughter
Billy Tubbs Coaching Tree
- Alvin Brooks (Lamar, Houston)
- Tim Carter (South Carolina State, UTSA, Nebraska-Omaha)
- Scott Edgar (Southeast Missouri State, Eastern Oklahoma State)
- Brian Fish (Montana State)
- Danny Kaspar (Incarnate Word, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State)
- Jim Kerwin (Western Illinois)
- Stacey King (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
- Steve McClain (Wyoming, UIC)
- Mike Newell (Dillard, West Alabama, Arkansas-Monticello, Lamar, Little Rock)
- Steve Roccaforte (Lamar)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and Division III levels