Fred Enke

Fred Enke (1897-1985)

Teams coached: Louisville Cardinals, Arizona Wildcats
Louisville record: 14-20 (.412)
Cardinals record: 509-324 (.611)
Overall record: 523-344 (.603)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1951)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0 
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  3  (1946, 1950, 1951)
  • Border Regular Season Champion:  9  (1932, 1936, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1925-1961 Arizona
1923-1925 Louisville

Fred Enke Facts

  • Fred August Enke
  • Born July 12, 1897
  • Died November 2, 1985
  • Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota
  • Alma Mater: University of Minnesota (BA, 1921)
  • Played football and basketball at Minnesota, the latter under head coach Louis Cooke
  • Started his coaching career in football, serving as an assistant for one season at South Dakota State
  • Moved on to Louisville in 1923, where he coached the football, baseball and basketball teams
    • Went 8-8-1 on the gridiron, 14-20 on the hardwood and 7-6 on the diamond
    • Also served as athletic director from 1923-25
  • Arrived at Arizona in 1925, hired as head basketball coach and an assistant football coach
    • Went 509-324 in 36 seasons at the helm of the basketball program
    • Was head football coach for one year (3-5-1) but spent 35 years as an assistant
    • Became the Wildcats’ head golf coach in 1935 and remained in that role for 32 years
      • Compiled an overall record of 209-101-13 with the golf program
    • Stopped coaching basketball in 1961, football in 1962 and golf in 1967
    • Has a street on campus (Enke Drive) named in his honor, as well as a golf course in Tuscon
  • His son, Fred, was a star QB at Arizona, later playing six seasons in the NFL

Fred Enke Coaching Tree

  • Bruce Larson (Arizona)