Ozzie Cowles (1899-1997)
Teams coached: Carleton Knights, River Falls State Falcons, Dartmouth Big Green, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Carleton record: 67-26 (.720)
River Falls State record^: 32-28 (.533)
Dartmouth record: 147-47 (.758)
Michigan record: 28-14 (.667)
Minnesota record: 147-93 (.613)
Overall record^: 421-208 (.669)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1942)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4 (1941, 1942, 1943, 1948)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (1942)
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- Big Ten Regular Season Champion: 1 (1948)
- Ivy League Regular Season Champion: 7 (1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946)
Awards:
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
1948-1959 | Minnesota |
1946-1948 | Michigan |
1944-1946 | Dartmouth |
1936-1943 | Dartmouth |
1932-1936 | River Falls State |
1924-1930 | Carleton |
1923-1924 | Iowa State Teachers College (asst) |
Ozzie Cowles Facts
- Osbourne Bryan Cowles
- Born August 25, 1899
- Died August 29, 1997
- Hometown: Browns Valley, Minnesota
- Alma Mater: Carleton College (BA, 1922)
- The Minnesota-native played basketball, baseball and football at Carleton College in Northfield, MN
- Started his coaching career right after graduating, serving as the head basketball coach at Rochester HS (MN) for one year
- Was an assistant football and basketball coach from 1923-24 at Iowa State Teachers (now Northern Iowa) before returning to alma mater Carleton to coach the Knights’ basketball team for six seasons
- Later worked at River Falls State (now UW-River Falls) in Wisconsin, spending four seasons as the head basketball coach and three seasons each coaching the football and baseball teams
- Also served as the school’s athletic director from 1932-36
- Began a long tenure as the head basketball coach at Dartmouth in 1936, leading the Big Green to three straight NCAA Tournaments (1941-43) including an NCAA Runner-up finish in 1942
- Coached at Michigan for two seasons, including one Big Ten title and NCAA trip, before returning to his home state and finishing his coaching career at Minnesota
- Was the Golden Gophers’ head coach for 11 seasons, winning 147 (.758) of his games but never reaching the postseason or winning a conference title
- Resigned in 1959 at age 57 following two straight sub-.500 seasons
- Passed away in 1997 just days after turning 98; survived by his third wife, Georgia, daughter, Roxanne, and a step-daughter, Janet
- Had one son, David, with first wife, Luella; later married Edris
Ozzie Cowles Coaching Tree
- Bob Harrison (Harvard, Kenyon)
- Ernie McCoy (Michigan)
- Joe Vancisin (Yale)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and Division III levels