Jim Dutcher
Jim Dutcher (born April 1933)
Teams coached: Eastern Michigan Eagles, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Eastern Michigan record^: 127-49 (.722)
Minnesota record: 166-137 (.548) **
Overall record^: 293-186 (.612) **
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1982)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1 (1982)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 0
- NIT Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1980)
- NIT Appearances: 3 (1980, 1981, 1983)
- Big Ten Regular Season Champion: 1 (1982)
- NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances: 1 (1972)
- NAIA National Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1971)
- NAIA Tournament Appearances: 4 (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971)
Awards:
- Big Ten Coach of the Year: 1 (1982)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1975-1986 | Minnesota |
| 1972-1975 | Michigan (asst) |
| 1966-1972 | Eastern Michigan |
| 1964-1966 | Alpena CC |
Jim Dutcher Facts
- James D. Dutcher
- Born April 1933
- Hometown: Alpena, Michigan
- Alma Mater: University of Michigan (BS, 1955 & MA, 1961)
- Was class president and a star athlete at Alpena HS (MI) before going off to the University of Michigan
- Played football and basketball, the latter under head coach Bill Perigo
- Joined the US Army in 1955; coached football and basketball while stationed in Frankfurt, Germany
- Started his coaching career in his hometown at Alpena CC (MI), where he was head coach and athletic director
- Hired in 1966 to be the head coach at then-NAIA Eastern Michigan
- Went 127-49 over six seasons with the Eagles, leading them to four NAIA Tournaments and one D-II NCAA Tournament
- The Eagles were NAIA Runner-up in 1971 and reached the NCAA D-II Final Four a year later
- Left EMU in 1972 to take a job on Johnny Orr‘s staff at alma mater Michigan
- In three years, Dutcher was a part of two NCAA Tournaments and one Big Ten title
- Hired away in 1975 to be the head coach at conference foe Minnesota
- Went 166-137** in eleven years as the Gophers’ head coach, going to three NITs and the 1982 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
- The 1976-77 team was already ineligible for the postseason due to violations from previous coach Bill Musselman‘s staff, but the entire season was later vacated due to an in-season violation committed during the probation
- Dutcher resigned partway through the 1985-86 season, in protest of a decision to cancel games in the wake of three Gopher players getting arrested for an alleged rape (they were all later acquitted)
- Left basketball and worked instead as a financial adviser; retired in 2005
- Along with his late wife, Marilyn, has one son (San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher) and three daughters
Jim Dutcher Coaching Tree
- Brian Dutcher (San Diego State)
- Jessie Evans (San Francisco, Louisiana-Lafayette)
- Allan Freund (Eastern Michigan)
- Kevin McHale (Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Flip Saunders (Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons)
- Stu Starner (UTSA, Montana State)
- Perry Watson (Detroit Mercy)
- Jimmy Williams (Minnesota)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I, Division II and NAIA levels (EMU did not move up to Division I until 1973-74)
** Listed records and accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA
