Don Eddy

Don Eddy (1935-2017)

Teams coached: Eastern Illinois Panthers, UTSA Roadrunners
Eastern Illinois record^: 208-129 (.617)
UTSA record: 60-68 (.469)
Overall record^: 268-197 (.576)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  0
  • IIAC (NAIA) Regular Season Championships:  1  (1969)
  • NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances:  6  (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
  • NCAA Division II Tournament Final Four:  2  (1976, 1978)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1981-1986 UTSA
1968-1980 Eastern Illinois
1966-1968 East Tennessee State (asst)

Don Eddy Facts

  • Don R. Eddy
  • Born December 16, 1935
  • Died November 5, 2017
  • Hometown: Kenova, West Virginia
  • Alma Mater: University of Southern Mississippi (BA, 1957)
  • Played basketball at Southern Miss for head coaches Charles Finley and Fred Lewis
  • Started his coaching career at Southwest HS in Atlanta before moving up to the college game
  • Spent two seasons as an assistant under head coach Madison Brooks at East Tennessee State
  • First college head coaching job was at Eastern Illinois; took over the then-NAIA program in 1968
    • Coached the Panthers for 12 seasons, guiding the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II competition
    • Won the NAIA IIAC in 1969 and later reached six-straight NCAA D-II Tournaments (1975-80)
    • Led the Panthers to the Final Four in both 1976 and 1978; won the third-place consolation game both years
  • Left EIU in 1980 to be the first head coach of the new (Division I) UTSA Roadrunners program
    • The team started playing in 1981 and Eddy served as head coach for their first five seasons
    • Went 60-68 overall and laid the foundation for the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 1988
    • Resigned midway through the 1985-86 season following an altercation with a player
  • After his coaching career ended, he continued to work in basketball running camps in the San Antonio area
  • Passed away in November 2017 at the age of 81

Don Eddy Coaching Tree

  • Larry Gatewood (UTSA)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I, Division II and NAIA levels; Eastern Illinois competed at the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels during Eddy’s tenure there (moved up to Division I in 1981)