Steve Yoder

Steve Yoder (born 1939)

Teams coached: Ball State Cardinals, Wisconsin Badgers
Ball State record: 77-62 (.554)
Wisconsin record: 128-165 (.437)
Overall record: 205-227 (.475)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1981)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  2  (1989, 1991)
  • MAC Regular Season Champion:  2  (1981, 1982)
  • MAC Tournament Champion:  1  (1981)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2014-2017 Houston (DBO)
1982-1992 Wisconsin
1977-1982 Ball State
1976-1977 Ball State (asst)
1973-1975 Furman (asst)

Steve Yoder Facts

  • Stephen Kent Yoder
  • Born 1939
  • Hometown: Plymouth, Indiana
  • Alma Mater: Illinois Wesleyan University (BA, 1962) / Saint Francis College (MA, 1970)
  • Graduated from Plymouth HS (IN) and went on to basketball and baseball at Illinois Wesleyan
  • Started coaching right after graduating, working first as an assistant coach at Glen Ellyn JHS (IL)
  • Spent three years as an assistant at his alma mater – Plymouth HS – before serving as head coach for six seasons
    • Won three sectional titles in six years and was named District One COY in 1973
  • Worked as an assistant coach under Joe Williams for two years at Furman before returning to Indiana to coach at Penn HS
  • Joined Jim Holstein’s staff at Ball State in 1976 and then took over as the Cardinals’ head coach a year later
    • Went 77-62 in five seasons at the helm, culminating in back-to-back MAC regular season titles 
    • Led the Cardinals to the 1981 NCAA Tournament, the first such appearance for the program at the D-I level
  • Left BSU for Wisconsin in 1982, leading the Badgers for the next ten seasons
    • Was 128-165 during that tenure, reaching the NIT in both 1989 and 1991
      • Those were the first ever NIT berths for the program and first postseason appearances since 1947
    • Resigned in March 1992 following a 13-18 (4-14) season
  • After stepping away from coaching, Yoder worked in television with Raycom and ESPN
  • Worked as a scout in the NBA, first with the Indiana Pacers (2000-03) and later with the New York Knicks (2003-11)
  • Made a return to the college game in 2014, spending three seasons as DBO for Kelvin Sampson at Houston
  • Retired at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season; basketball career spanned over 50 years
  • Along with his wife, Marcia, has four sons and three daughters

Steve Yoder Coaching Tree

  • Brian Good (Wingate, Queens NC, MSOE)
  • Ray McCallum (Detroit Mercy, Houston, Ball State)
  • Howard Moore (UIC)
  • Scott Roth (Iowa Wolves, Bakersfield Jam, overseas)
  • Bo Ryan (Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Platteville)
  • James Whitford (Ball State)