Cal Poly’s last NCAA tourney appearance was a miraculous 1 back in 2014. After finishing the regular season 10-19, Coach Joe Callero’s squad won 3 games in 3 days to clinch the Big West tourney title, then beat Texas Southern by double-digits in the 1st 4 before losing to an undefeated Wichita State squad. A few decades earlier Mustangs coach Ernie Wheeler led his team all the way to the Final 4 of the 1981 D-2 tourney before losing to eventual champ Florida Southern. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ernie about being the winningest coach in school history. Today marks the 42nd anniversary of Ernie’s Elite 8 win over New Hampshire on March 14, 1981, so we take this time to remember his remarkable accomplishment.
photo credit: Lompoc Record
In 1972 you were hired as head coach at Cal Poly: why did you take the job? I spent 7 years coaching high school basketball in California so when I had the opportunity to become a college coach I took it.
In the 1977 D-2 tourney you had a 3-PT loss to North Alabama: how close did you come to pulling out the win? We had a heck of a team that year and beat Stanford by double-digits during the season. The North Alabama game was tremendous: it was probably the loudest arena that I have ever been in.
In March of 1981 you had a 4-PT win over New Hampshire to advance to the D-2 Final 4: where does that rank among the biggest wins of your career? Going to the Final 4 is something you always think about but never expect it to happen. They sent us to the Eastern regional in New Jersey so we were actually representing the East! We lost to Florida Southern in the semifinals but that tourney run ranks among the best teams that we have ever had here.
In December of 1982 you had a 3-PT 2-OT loss to Sacramento State: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? I do not remember that 1. The loss that stands out was to Hayward State on the road when 1 of their players made a 25-footer at the buzzer!
You remain the all-time winningest coach in school history: do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I think that someone will break it in time. We had a great run for 14 years and I got to have both of my sons play for me. My oldest son transferred from Idaho State and my other boy was highly-recruited but wanted to stay home. I was fortunate because they could really play and fit in as just 1 of the guys.
After leaving Cal Poly you spent 3 years as coach at Eastern Montana: what did you do during your time off, and why did you decide to get back on the sideline? I stayed at Cal Poly for a year working for their athletic department. I needed a job after Cal Poly switched athletic directors and Eastern Montana was a good way for me to get back into coaching. It is a wonderful profession because it is not just about Xs and Os but also the people around you.
You later coached in the CBA and served as a scout for Portland: which gig did you enjoy more, and what is the key to being a good scout? I evaluated mid-major players for the Trail Blazers for a year. Coaching in the CBA was neat: pro basketball is a completely different type of atmosphere than college. Some of the rules are different but the big thing is the travel.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? Cal Poly is 1 of the top academic schools in California so I was proud to have graduated over 90% of my players. We played hard and represented the university with class. I was lucky to coach at a place like Cal Poly.