Tom Blackburn
Tom Blackburn (1906-1964)
Teams coached: Dayton Flyers
Dayton record: 352-141 (.714)
Overall record: 352-141 (.714)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1952)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 1 (1962)
- NIT Appearances: 10 (1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
1947-1964 | Dayton |
Tom Blackburn Facts
- Leonard Thomas Blackburn
- Born January 23, 1906
- Died March 6, 1964
- Hometown: Peebles, Ohio
- Alma Mater: Wilmington College (BA, 1931)
- Started his coaching career at West Carrollton HS (OH) and Xenia Central HS (OH), winning a state title in 1942
- First arrived at Dayton in 1947, when he was hired as the Flyers’ head men’s basketball coach
- Coached there for seventeen seasons, reaching the NCAA Tournament once and the NIT seven times
- Blackburn’s teams finished as the NIT Runner-Up five times before finally winning the 1962 NIT
- Coached there for seventeen seasons, reaching the NCAA Tournament once and the NIT seven times
- Was diagnosed with cancer during the 1962-63 season and the following year needed to step aside from his position for the last few games of the season
- Blackburn passed away from cancer on March 6, 1964, just eight days removed from coaching his last game at Dayton
- The floor at UD Arena is named Blackburn Court in his honor
- The winner of the annual rivalry game between Dayton and Xavier is awarded the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy, named after Blackburn and former Xavier head coach and AD Jim McCafferty
Tom Blackburn Coaching Tree
- Don Donoher (Dayton)