Don Corbett

Don Corbett (1942-2018)

Teams coached: Lincoln Blue Tigers, North Carolina A&T Aggies
Lincoln record^: 159-59 (.729)
North Carolina A&T record: 254-145 (.637)
Overall record^: 413-204 (.669)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0   
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  7  (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0   
  • NIT Championships:  0   
  • NIT Appearances:  1  (1981)
  • MEAC Regular Season Champion:  7  (1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1992)
  • MIAA (Div II) Regular Season Champion:  3  (1972, 1975, 1977)
  • MEAC Tournament Champion:  7  (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988)
  • MIAA (Div II) Tournament Champion:  1  (1977)
  • NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances:  5  (1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1979-1993 North Carolina A&T
1971-1979 Lincoln College
1968-1971 Tennessee State (asst)
1967-1968 South Carolina State (asst)

Don Corbett Facts

  • Donald Corbett
  • Born October 5, 1942
  • Died September 12, 2018
  • Hometown: Thomasville, Georgia
  • Alma Mater: Lincoln College (BA, 1965) / University of Illinois (MA)
  • The Georgia-native played his collegiate ball at Division II Lincoln College in Jefferson City, Missouri
  • Began his coaching career at George Washington Carver HS in Columbus, Georgia, spending two seasons as the head coach there
  • Was an assistant under Ben Jobe for one season at South Carolina State and three seasons under Ed Martin at Tennessee State
  • Returned to alma mater Lincoln in 1971, serving as the Blue Tigers’ head coach for the next eight years
    • Went 159-59 during his tenure, going to five NCAA D-II Tournaments and reaching the Sweet 16 (or better) three times
    • Later inducted into both the Lincoln Athletic Hall of Fame and MIAA Hall of Fame
  • Left Lincoln in 1979 to become the head coach at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, NC
    • Coached the Eagles for 14 seasons, winning 254 games and seven MEAC regular season titles
    • Reached the NCAA Tournament seven times by way of seven straight MEAC Tournament championships (1982-88)
      • The streak of seven straight conference tournament titles has only happened one other time (Kentucky, 1944-50)
    • Honored as the MEAC Coach of the Year six times, more than any other coach (tied with Fang Mitchell for the most)
    • North Carolina A&T named their basketball court after Corbett and Cal Irvin in 2006
  • Passed away in September 2018 after a battle with cancer
    • Survived by his three sons and one daughter; wife, Freda, passed away in 2009

Don Corbett Coaching Tree

  • coming soon

 

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