John Oldham

John Oldham (born June 22, 1923)

Teams coached: Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Tennessee Tech record: 118-83 (.587)
Western Kentucky record: 142-40 (.780) **
Overall record: 260-123 (.679) **

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  5  (1958, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1970) **
• NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  1  (1966) **
• NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0 **
• NIT Championships:  0
• NIT Appearances:  1  (1965)
• Ohio Valley Regular Season Champion:  7  (1956, 1958, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971)
• Ohio Valley Tournament Champion:  2  (1965, 1966)

Awards:

• Ohio Valley Coach of the Year:  4  (1963, 1966, 1970, 1971)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1964-1971	Western Kentucky
1955-1964	Tennessee Tech

John Oldham Facts

• John O. Oldham
• Born June 22, 1923
• Hometown: Hartford, Kentucky
• Alma Mater: Western Kentucky University (BA, 1949)
• After graduating from Hartford HS (KY), Oldham played at WKU under head coach E.A. Diddle
  • Was a UPI third-team All-American in 1949 and later had his jersey #42 retired by the program
  • Time at WKU was interrupted by World War II, during which Oldham served three years in the US Navy
  • Drafted in the 2nd round of the 1949 NBA Draft and spent two years playing for the Fort Wayne (now Detroit) Pistons
• Started his coaching career with a three-year stint at College HS in Bowling Green, KY
• Hired in 1955 to be the head coach at Tennessee Tech, leading the Golden Eagles for nine seasons
  • During his time at Tech, Oldham won 118 games and three Ohio Valley titles
• Returned to alma mater in WKU to spend the next seven seasons as the Hilltoppers’ head coach
  • Won 142 games, reaching the NCAA Tournament five times and winning four more Ohio Valley titles
    • The Toppers’ 1971 NCAA Tournament appearance, in which Oldham’s team reached the Final Four, was later vacated by the NCAA due to an ineligible player on the roster
• Retired from coaching in 1971 and became the Western Kentucky University athletic director, a position he held until 1986
• Has been inducted into the following: Kentucky Athletic HOF (1986), Ohio Valley Conference HOF (1989), Kentucky High School HOF (1990), Tennessee Tech Sports HOF (1990) and WKU Athletic HOF (1991)
• Along with his wife, Bobbie, has one son and one daughter

John Oldham Coaching Tree

• Wayne Chapman (Kentucky Wesleyan)
• Benny Dees (Western Carolina, Wyoming, New Orleans)
• Clem Haskins (Minnesota, Western Kentucky)
• Jim Richards (Western Kentucky)
• Ken Sidwell (Belmont, Tennessee Tech)
• Ralph Underhill (Wright State)

 

** Listed records and accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA