Joe Sexson
Joe Sexson (1934-2011)
Teams coached: Butler Bulldogs
Butler record: 143-188 (.432)
Overall record: 143-188 (.432)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1985)
Awards:
- MCC Coach of the Year: 1 (1984)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1977-1989 | Butler |
| 1960-1977 | Purdue (asst) |
Joe Sexson Facts
- Joe Sexson
- Born March 29, 1934
- Died April 30, 2011
- Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Alma Mater: Purdue University (BA, 1956)
- Was a star basketball player at Arsenal Technical HS in Indianapolis; earned Indiana Mr. Basketball honors in 1952
- Played for head coach Ray Eddy at Purdue, starting three years for the Boilers basketball team
- Earned All-Big Ten honors and served as team captain as a senior in 1955-56
- Also played baseball at Purdue for three years, named All-Big Ten in 1956
- Drafted by the New York Knicks in 1956 but never played professionally
- Later inducted into the Indiana Basketball HOF (c/o 1986) and the Purdue Athletics HOF (c/o 2000)
- After starting his coaching career at the high school level in Indiana, Sexson returned to Purdue in 1960
- Was an assistant basketball coach for 17 years, working under Eddy and later under George King
- Part of the 1968-69 Boilermaker team that won the Big Ten and reached the NCAA title game
- Also won a NIT championship in 1974 with King as the head coach
- Sexson also served as the head baseball coach from 1960-77, winning 221 games over his tenure
- Hired as the head coach at Butler in his hometown of Indianapolis in 1977, coaching the Bulldogs for 12 years
- Went 143-188 overall during his tenure, which included the transition into the new MCC (now Horizon League)
- Named MCC co-COY in 1984 and a year later led the program to its first postseason berth in over 20 years
- Passed away in 2011 at the age of 77; survived by his wife, Donna, and their three sons, Rick, Dan and Mark
Joe Sexson Coaching Tree
- Todd Lickliter (Evansville, Marian, Iowa, Butler)
- Thad Matta (Butler, Ohio State, Xavier)
