Bruce Drake

Bruce Drake (1905-1983)

Teams coached: Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma record: 200-182 (.524)
Overall record: 200-182 (.524)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 1973)
  • National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2006)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1938-1955 Oklahoma

Bruce Drake Facts

  • Bruce Drake
  • Born December 5, 1905
  • Died December 4, 1983
  • Hometown: Gentry, Texas
  • Alma Mater: University of Oklahoma (BA, 1929)
  • The Texas-native played for Hugh McDermott at OU, named a Helms All-American for the 1928-29 season
  • Became the coach at his alma mater in 1938, a job he held for 17 seasons in Norman
    • Went 200-182 during his tenure, finishing with a winning record in 11 of 17 campaigns
    • Led the Sooners to the Final Four in the first ever NCAA Tournament (1939) and returned in 1947
    • Claimed six Big Six/Big Seven regular season titles, the fourth most of any head coach in the conference
    • Served as Chairman of the NCAA Rules Committee from 1951-55, helping make goaltending illegal in the game
    • Developed the Shuffle (or Drake Shuffle) offense used at Oklahoma and later used by Bob Spear and Dean Smith
  • After OU, Drake coached at the Air Force Academy before the squad became official in 1956
    • Air Force’s first official head coach, Bob Spear, would use Drake’s Shuffle offense with his height-restricted teams
  • Was also an assistant with Team USA’s gold medal-winning 1956 Melbourne Olympic squad
  • Spent one year coaching the Wichita Vickers of the National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL)
  • Passed away in 1983 just one day shy of his 78th birthday
    • Survived by his wife, Myrtle, two daughters and six grandchildren

Bruce Drake Coaching Tree

  • coming soon