Jerry Steele

Jerry Steele (1939-2021)

Teams coached: Guilford Quakers, High Point Panthers
Guilford record^: 150–76 (.664)
High Point record^: 457-412 (.526)
Overall record^: 607-488 (.554)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  0
  • Carolinas (Div II) Regular Season Champion:  2  (1989, 1997)
  • Carolinas (Div II) Tournament Champion:  4  (1987, 1988, 1989, 1996)
  • NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances:  2  (1996, 1997)
  • NAIA Tournament Appearances:  5  (1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1979)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1972-2003 High Point
1970-1971 Carolina Cougars
1962-1970 Guilford

Jerry Steele Facts

  • Jerry Steele
  • Born March 10, 1939
  • Died July 11, 2021
  • Hometown: Elkin, North Carolina
  • Alma Mater: Wake Forest University (BA, 1961) / University of North Carolina (MA, 1962)
  • The NC-native played at Wake Forest for head coach Bones McKinney; twice named Academic All-ACC
  • Started his coaching career at Guilford College in Greensboro, where he went 150-76 in eight seasons at the helm
    • Reached the NAIA Tournament four times in his last five years and reached the NAIA Final Four in 1970
  • Went 17-25 in one season (1970-71) as head coach of the ABA’s Carolina Cougars, taking over for his former coach McKinney
  • Arrived at High Point, then a NAIA member, in 1972 and would serve as head coach for the next 31 seasons
    • Went 457-412 through his tenure, which included seasons in NAIA, NCAA Division II and Division I competition
    • Reached the NAIA Tournament in 1979 then back-to-back D-II NCAA Tournaments in 1996 and 1997
    • Won two Conference Carolinas regular season titles and four conference tournament titles
    • Also served as athletic director starting from 1972-1998; retired from coaching in 2003
  • Inducted into the High Point HOF (c/o 2015), Wake Forest HOF (c/o 2010), Guilford County (NC) HOF (c/o 2005), North Carolina Sports HOF (c/o 2002), NAIA Hall of Fame (c/o 1987)
  • Passed away in July 2021 at the age of 82
    • Survived by his wife, Kitty, a member of the High Point HOF (c/o 2016) after coaching a number of women’s sports for many years
    • The Jerry and Kitty Steele Sports Center, which houses offices, training facilities and locker rooms, opened in 2007

Jerry Steele Coaching Tree

  • Bob Kauffman (Detroit Pistons)
  • Brett Reed (Lehigh)
  • Tubby Smith (High Point, Memphis, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, Tulsa)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA levels; during Steele’s tenure at High Point, the program transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division II then finally to Division I in 1999