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Dana Kirk

Dana Kirk (1935-2010)

Teams coached: Tampa Spartans, VCU Rams, Memphis State Tigers
VCU record: 57-23 (.713)
Memphis record: 149-53 (.738) **
Overall record^: 274-135 (.670) **

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:   0   
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:   0 **
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:   0 **
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:   0 **
  • NIT Championships:   0   
  • NIT Appearances:   1   (1978)
  • Metro Regular Season Champion:   3   (1982, 1984, 1985)
  • Metro Tournament Champion:   3   (1982, 1984, 1985)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1979-1986 Memphis State
1976-1979 VCU
1971-1976 Louisville (asst)
1966-1971 Tampa

Dana Kirk Facts

  • Dana Grey Kirk
  • Born July 23, 1935
  • Died February 15, 2010
  • Hometown: Logan County, West Virginia
  • Alma Mater: Marshall University (BA, 1958)
  • Started his college career at Morris Harvey College before transferring to Marshall to finish his degree
  • Was the head basketball coach for five seasons at the University of Tampa, a Division II Independent, where he went 68-59 overall
  • Spent five seasons as one of Denny Crum‘s assistants at Louisville, serving on the staff for two Final Four appearances (1972 & 1975)
  • Became the head coach at VCU – then a Division I Independent – in 1976, leading the Rams to a 57-23 record in three years and a NIT appearance in 1978
  • Final coaching position was with the Memphis State Tigers, where he coached for seven seasons and went to the NCAA Tournament five times
    • All five Tournament appearances (including a 1985 Final Four berth) were later vacated by the NCAA when Kirk was indicted on charges of tax evasion, mail fraud, filing false tax returns and obstruction of justice
    • He retired from his position in 1986 and ended up serving a four-month sentence at a minimum-security prison in Alabama
  • Hosted a sports talk show in Memphis for many years on WHBQ-AM and published an autobiography titled Simply Amazing, The Dana Kirk Story (1988)
  • Died of a heart attack in Memphis on February 15, 2010; he was survived by his wife, Denise, and daughter Kasha (from a previous marriage)

Dana Kirk Coaching Tree

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels

** Listed records and accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA