Bucky Waters

Bucky Waters (born December 17, 1935)

Teams coached: West Virginia Mountaineers, Duke Blue Devils
West Virginia record: 69-41 (.627)
Duke record: 63-45 (.583)
Overall record: 132-86 (.606)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1969-1973 Duke
1965-1969 West Virginia
1959-1965 Duke (asst)

Bucky Waters Facts

  • Raymond Chevalier Waters
  • Born December 17, 1935
  • Hometown: Collingswood, New Jersey
  • Alma Mater: North Carolina State University (BA, 1958)
  • Played for head coach Jack McCloskey at Collingswood HS (NJ) before going on to NC State
    • Spent three years with the Wolfpack playing for Hall of Fame head coach Everett Case
  • Spent one season as head coach and AD at Ashe County HS (NC) before joining Vic Bubas‘ staff at Duke in 1959
  • Hired in 1965 to be the head coach at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to a 69-41 record over four years
  • Returned to Duke in 1969 to replace Bubas as the Blue Devils’ head coach
    • Went 63-45 over four seasons, reaching the NIT twice but not the NCAA Tournament
  • Stopped coaching in 1973 but continued to work at Duke
    • Served as Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development at the Duke Medical Center
    • Retired in 2004 after 41 total years working at Duke University
  • Also worked in broadcasting, most frequently on college basketball but also in baseball, golf and at the 1988 Seoul Olympics
  • Along with his wife, Dorothea, has two sons and one daughter

Bucky Waters Coaching Tree

  • Tony Barone (Memphis Grizzlies, Texas A&M, Creighton)
  • Hubie Brown (Memphis Grizzles, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Kentucky Colonels)
  • Sonny Moran (West Virginia)
  • Neill McGeachy (Duke)