Maury John
Maury John (1919-1974)
Teams coached: Drake Bulldogs, Iowa State Cyclones
Drake record: 211-131 (.617)
Iowa State record: 32-25 (.561)
Overall record^: 243-156 (.609)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3 (1969, 1970, 1971)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 3 (1969, 1970, 1971)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (1969)
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1964)
- Missouri Valley Regular Season Champion: 4 (1964, 1969, 1970, 1971)
- NJCAA National Championships: 2 (1954, 1955)
Awards:
- Missouri Valley Coach of the Year: 4 (1964, 1968, 1969, 1970)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1971-1974 | Iowa State |
| 1958-1971 | Drake |
| 1946-1958 | Moberly JC |
Maury John Facts
- Maurice E. John
- Born June 17, 1919
- Died October 15, 1974
- Hometown: Sweet Springs, Missouri
- Alma Mater: Central Missouri State College (BA, 1941) / University of Missouri (MA, 1943)
- Started his career at Union HS (MO), spending one year there before joining the Air Force during World War II
- Upon returning to the States in 1946, he became the head coach at Moberly JC (MO)
- Coached the Greyhounds for 12 seasons, winning back-to-back NJCAA national titles (1954 & 1955)
- Now Moberly Area CC, the school built “Fitzsimmons-John Arena” honoring him and successor Cotton Fitzsimmons
- Hired in 1958 to be the head coach at Drake, leading the Bulldogs for thirteen seasons
- After building up into a MVC contender, the Bulldog’s burst onto the national stage in 1969 when they went 26-5 and reached the first (and still only) NCAA Final Four in school history
- Nearly upset UCLA in the 1969 Final Four, cutting the Bruins’ lead to just one point in the final minute
- John Wooden‘s team would go on to win the fifth of nine straight NCAA titles
- Won three straight MVC titles, going to the Elite Eight or further in each of those three seasons
- Left Drake for Iowa State in 1971, citing an opportunity to further his career and play in an on-campus arena
- Inherited a team that went 5-21 the previous season, getting the Cyclones to 16-10 in year two
- Diagnosed with an inoperable tumor in October 1973, leaving the team after a 4-1 start
- Passed away the following October at age 55; survived by his wife, Jean, and their two sons
Maury John Coaching Tree
- Gus Guydon (Drake)
- Paul Lambert (Southern Illinois, Hardin-Simmons, Pittsburg State)
- Willie McCarter (Detroit Mercy)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only