The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Jerry Johnson about his uncle Gene winning a gold medal in 1936. Today marks the 84th anniversary of the US beating Estonia 52-28 in the Olympics double-elimination round.
(photo credit: usab.com)
Your uncle played basketball and was on the track team at Emporia State and later played baseball in the Western League: which sport was he best at, and which sport did he enjoy the most? All of the guys were involved in as many sports as possible so I think that he loved them all but I think the love was strongest in basketball.
He was hired as coach at Wichita State in 1928: was he ready to be a head coach at age 26? The sport was only 30 or so years old at the time so I think that he was ready. Kansas was the cradle that nurtured coaches so there were many people who came from the state like Adolph Rupp. They were looking for an up-and-comer and it also got my dad there.
1 of his players was his brother Francis: what was the best part of coaching his brother, and what was the not-so-best part? The best part is that they had so many thoughts in common that it was a natural transition. As the older brother Gene felt the responsibility of being a father-figure to all of his siblings. It was easy to get mad at him but awfully hard to stay mad at him. My dad had strong family ties and all of his brothers were close to him. The most frustrating thing was that Gene viewed all of their accomplishments as his own and took credit for everything.
He later won national AAU titles as coach of the Wichita Henrys and the McPherson Globe Refiners: what did it mean to him to win those titles? Anytime he won a title it was huge and he savored his victories. My dad also played on the Henrys team. When I needed a suit my dad drove me to a clothing store in Wichita and Mr. Henry fitted me for my suit. They had a strong relationship for many years: Mr. Henry was a really good person who my dad had a world of respect for.
He is credited with inventing the 2-2-1 full-court zone press: how did he come up with it, and what made it so effective? Nobody else had done it before: Gene thought it up in collaboration with my dad. Gene deserves the credit but my dad gets some credit for fine-tuning it as the floor leader. My uncle Harold was the youngest brother and also played for Gene at a small school in Salina called Kansas Wesleyan. There were a # of people applying for the job: they offered him $1800/year to coach football/basketball/track and he asked for $2200. He said if they gave him half of the gate then that would suffice…and the school agreed. He was the only coach in his conference who won championships in all 3 sports, which was a huge deal. He also got his players (including Harold) to sign up for the Navy Reserve before WWII, which meant that none of them were drafted into the military. He was always looking for angles and how to do better.
He was either the head or assistant coach for team USA at the 1936 Olympics: how did he get the job, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? He claimed that he was the head coach and there was no argument as to his qualifications/tenure: he ran all of the drills/practices. Some people view Coach Jimmy Needles as head coach because he had 1 more player on the team than Gene did. Winning the gold medal was the highlight of his life and certified his bona fides. He claimed that he was the greatest coach of that era and never relinquished that title at all. He was very proud of his coaching career but did not stay in 1 place very long. His mantra was to get a big guy who could run up and down the court.
He was inducted into several Halls of Fame including the Kansas State High School Hall of Fame and the Wichita State Hall of Fame: where do these rank among the highlights of his career? Those were a big deal as well.
His brother Harold was a coach for more than 15 years at Parsons High School: who is the best coach in the family? I would say Harold. He won 10 conference titles in 15 years and would have stayed at Parsons even longer but after the railroad closed the local roundhouse building the school was downsized. He agreed to become athletic director but did not want to keep coaching. He tried to recruit me when I was a senior but I went elsewhere. Another kid he coached was Bill Guthridge: he was really smart and a straight-A student but a very quiet/good guy. He did not look for the limelight: he just loved the sport. His nickname was “Hairball”!
After retiring as a coach he went into the insurance business: how did he get into it, and how did he like it? He liked selling insurance because it involved 2 people talking and making a deal. He also worked in real estate and partnered with my dad on buying a car dealership before leaving it for my dad to liquidate.
He passed away in 1989: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? I remember him for his innovations and non-traditional approach to things. He had a sound coaching philosophy but always tried to find new ways to win games. Other coaches held him in high regard.
For more info about the 1936 US Olympic team check out “Sporting Labor in the Hollywood Studio System: Basketball, Universal Pictures, and the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Professor Alex Kupfer at: https://cinema.usc.edu/spectator/35.2/2_Kupfer.pdf and “Netting Out Basketball 1936” by Rich Hughes at: www.amazon.com/Netting-Out-Basketball-1936-Remarkable/dp/1770679707