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Vic Bubas

Vic Bubas (1927-2018)

Teams coached: Duke Blue Devils
Duke record: 213-67 (.761)
Overall record: 213-67 (.761)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0  (Runner-up in 1964)
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  4  (1960, 1963, 1964, 1966)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  4  (1960, 1963, 1964, 1966)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  3  (1963, 1964, 1966)
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  1  (1968)
  • ACC Regular Season Champion:  4  (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)
  • ACC Tournament Champion:  4  (1960, 1963, 1964, 1966)

Awards:

  • ACC Coach of the Year:  3  (1963, 1964, 1966)
  • National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2007)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1959-1969 Duke
1951-1959 NC State (asst)

Vic Bubas Facts

  • Victor Albert Bubas
  • Born January 28, 1927
  • Died April 16, 2018
  • Hometown: Gary, Indiana
  • Alma Mater: North Carolina State University (BA, 1951)
  • Played at Gary Lew Wallace HS (IN) before going on to play one year under head coach Douglas Mills at Illinois
  • Transferred to NC State, playing three seasons for legendary head coach Everett Case; twice earned All-SoCon honors
  • Stayed at NC State after graduation as Case’s assistant for eight seasons; was also the freshman coach from 1951-55
  • Hired in 1959 to be the head coach at Duke, then a low-profile program that had only been to one NCAA Tournament
    • Won 213 games in nine years, leading the Blue Devils to four NCAA Tournaments: three Final Fours and a national runner-up finish in 1964
    • Won four straight ACC regular season titles from 1963-66, the first ACC titles in program history
    • Part of his building of the Duke program came from his success on the recruiting trail; revered for scouting and identifying players early, ultimately shaping the way prospects are recruited to this day
    • Retired from coaching in 1969 but stayed at Duke until 1976 as an administrator; was a VP at the school for the last three years he was there
  • Became the commissioner of the newly formed Sun Belt Conference in 1976, holding that title for fourteen years until retiring
  • Inducted into the North Carolina Sports HOF in 1975, Indiana Sports HOF in 2002 and College Basketball HOF in 2007
  • Passed away in April 2018 at age 91

Vic Bubas Coaching Tree