Rick Majerus
Rick Majerus (1948-2012)
Teams coached: Marquette Golden Eagles, Ball State Cardinals, Utah Utes, Saint Louis Billikens
Marquette record: 56-35 (.615)
Ball State record: 43-17 (.717)
Utah record: 323-95 (.773)
Saint Louis record: 95-69 (.579)
Overall record: 517-216 (.705)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1998)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 12 (1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2012)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 4 (1991, 1996, 1997, 1998)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (1998)
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 4 (1984, 1985, 1986, 1992)
- CBI Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 2010)
- CBI Appearances: 1 (2010)
- Mountain West Regular Season Champion: 3 (2000, 2001, 2003)
- WAC Regular Season Champion: 7 (1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)
- MAC Regular Season Champion: 1 (1989)
- Mountain West Tournament Champion: 1 (2004)
- WAC Tournament Champion: 3 (1995, 1997, 1999)
- MAC Tournament Champion: 1 (1989)
Awards:
- UPI Coach of the Year: 1 (1991)
- WAC Coach of the Year: 4 (1991, 1993, 1995, 1999)
- MAC Coach of the Year: 1 (1989)
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2019)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2007-2012 | Saint Louis |
| 1989-2004 | Utah |
| 1987-1989 | Ball State |
| 1986-1987 | Milwaukee Bucks (asst) |
| 1983-1986 | Marquette |
| 1971-1983 | Marquette (asst) |
Rick Majerus Facts
- Richard Raymond Majerus
- Born February 17, 1948
- Died December 1, 2012
- Hometown: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Alma Mater: Marquette University (BA, 1970)
- Graduated from Marquette University HS and then Marquette University, both in Milwaukee
- Was briefly a walk-on at Marquette but spent most of his undergrad years as a student assistant at under legendary head coach Al McGuire
- Started his coaching career in 1971, spending six seasons as one of McGuire’s assistants at his alma mater
- Worked as an assistant under next head coach Hank Raymonds for another six seasons
- Succeeded Raymonds as Marquette head coach, winning 56 games in three seasons and reaching three NITs
- Spent one year as an assistant to Don Nelson with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks
- Went 43-17 in two seasons as the head coach at Ball State, leading the Cardinals to a MAC title and NCAA Tournament appearance in year two
- Took over as the head coach at Utah in 1989, a position he would hold until 2004
- Won 323 games and went to ten NCAA Tournaments at Utah, including a Final Four & Runner-up finish in 1998
- Utah won nine regular season titles under Majerus (seven WAC, two MWC)
- Three different times (1990, 2000 & 2004) had to step aside for medical or personal reasons, turning over the team to one of his assistants
- Released an autobiography in 2000: My Life On A Napkin: Pillow Mints, Playground Dreams and Coaching the Runnin’ Utes
- Hired to be the next head coach at USC in December 2004, but five days after his introductory press conference he resigned citing health concerns
- Though he would step away from Utah a month later due to his health, Majerus later stated that it was actually his mother’s health that caused him to pull away from coaching
- Worked as an ESPN game and studio analyst from 2004 to 2007 before getting back into coaching
- Hired in April 2007 as head coach at Saint Louis, finishing as CBI runner-up his third year and reaching the NCAA Tournament in his fifth year
- Announced in August he would miss the 2012-13 SLU season due to health problems, turning the team over to assistant Jim Crews
- Officially retired in November after it was clear his health would not allow him to return to the sidelines
- In December of 2012, Majerus suffered a heart attack and passed away at age 64
Rick Majerus Coaching Tree
- Joe Cravens (Weber State, Idaho, Utah)
- Donny Daniels (Cal State Fullerton)
- Dick Hunsaker (Utah Valley, Utah, Manchester, Ball State)
- Alex Jensen (Canton Charge)
- Jeff Judkins (BYU women’s)
- Andre Miller (Grand Rapids Gold)
- Porter Moser (Oklahoma, Loyola IL)
- Kerry Rupp (Louisiana Tech, Utah)
- Jim Whitesell (Buffalo)
