Harry Statham

Harry Statham (STATE-um) is an American basketball coach. He is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Basketball Hall of Fame. His 965 wins while at McKendree University of Lebanon, Illinois, are unmatched by any other basketball coach at a 4-year college or university in the United States.

Early years

Statham was born on May 30, 1937 in Brookport, Illinois. His father, Harry Statham Sr., died of pneumonia and was buried on the day Statham was born. Statham was raised by his mother and his grandfather, Rufus Dye, who encouraged his grandson to get an education and to not smoke or drink. [Dodd]

Statham said of his mom, " [She] wanted me to get a college degree. I was raised so that reputation is so important, the family name, strength, honesty, trustworthiness, respectfulness, ambition." [Dodd] Statham graduated with a bachelor's degree from McKendree College in 1960. He then enrolled at the University of Illinois, where he served as a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball and track teams. He earned a master of science degree in physical education from the University of Illinois.

Family Life

Statham is married to Rose. They have no children but "hundreds of kids", for the scores of the players that have played basketball for Statham are considered their sons. [Cherner] The Stathams live in Belleville, Illinois.

Of his wife Rose, Statham said, "She has been just a wonderful asset for me and McKendree. It is amazing the insight wives have about things. Way back when, she would see a nice-looking kid and say, 'Boy, I could watch him for four years.' Now she says, 'He's not quick enough' or 'He's not a good enough shooter.' She is usually right." [Cherner]

Statham has a consistent daily routine, arising at 6 a.m. and exercising for 90 minutes. He eats lunch in his office: a brown bag lunch his wife prepares, which includes a turkey sandwich and a container of cut-up vegetables. At day's end, he returns the bag to his wife for reuse the next day. He is in bed and asleep before 11 p.m. The favorite vacation spots for the Stathams are Hawaii and Las Vegas. [Cherner]

Coaching career

Junior high

Statham began his coaching career while an undergraduate student at McKendree. He guided the boy’s basketball team at O’Fallon Junior High School (O'Fallon, Illinois) while taking college courses at night.

High school

From O'Fallon, Statham moved on to coach the varsity boys basketball team for two seasons at Manito Forman High School (Manito, Illinois). His 1961-62 squad had a 9–16 record and his 1962-63 squad finished 10–13. Statham then moved on to Dwight Township High School (Dwight, Illinois) where he coached for three seasons from 1963 to 1966, posting a cumulative win-loss record of 24–45. [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum0429.htm Illinois HS Records]

McKendree University

In his tenure at McKendree, a member of the American Midwest Conference (AMC), Statham has led the Bearcats to post-season play 37 times in 42 seasons. Statham has coached McKendree to all 12 of its NAIA national men's basketball championship tournament berths, including five straight appearances from 1999-2004. Since his first season in 1966-67, Statham’s teams have averaged nearly 23 wins per season. His teams have won 20 or more games 32 times. McKendree also ranks among the NAIA’s top programs in terms of winning percentage over the past decade. [“Head Coach Harry Statham.”]

Statham has had 65 players receive post-season accolades. Eight of those players have earned NAIA All-America honors. Mike Strobbe, the most recent All-American, garnered first-team NAIA Division I All-America honors in 2006-07 after earning third-team recognition in 2005-06. Additionally, Statham has coached three players who were drafted in the professional ranks: Paul Funkhouser, a supplemental pick of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association; Dale Haverman, a fifth-round pick of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1977; and Matt Laur, a fourth round pick of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) draft by the Columbus Riverdragons. Many McKendree athletes who Statham has coached have gone on to successful coaching careers on both the high school and collegiate levels. [“Head Coach Harry Statham.”]

About his players, Statham said, "I always recruit the right kinds of players. We do not want thugs that play good basketball. We want them to be good, solid people. We don't want people that are going to flunk out. We want good people, good students and good basketball players—in that order." [Ellsworth]

Regarding his coaching philosophy, Statham said, "We do things consistently well. Our program is sound. We're very team-oriented, and we've tried to sell that from the very beginning. When you play hard and play together and do things fundamentally sound, you're going to be competitive. Our primary focus is to play hard, play well and try to do it as a team." [Ellsworth] Statham's on-court demeanor does not include yelling and ref-baiting [Dodd] Said Statham, "I don't like the [television] color commentators (saying) how you gotta work the referee and draw a T. We're trying to play the right way. They're out there saying you've got to bend the rules, step out there a little bit. They turn me off, I really don't enjoy that." [Dodd]

In addition to his coaching duties, Statham serves as the university's athletic director and an assistant professor of health and human performance.

1987-88 team

This Bearcat squad opened the season with 22 straight victories en route to a school-record 35 wins and the University's first-ever NAIA Tournament berth. In the first round of the tournament, McKendree and its opponent Huron College (S.D.), scored a record 231 points, as the Bearcats triumphed 124–107. The combined point total set an NAIA Tournament record that stood until 2006.

1996-97 team

Statham led this team to a quarterfinal spot in the NAIA Tournament. The Bearcats defeated two higher-ranked opponents to reach the NAIA Elite Eight, the team's best-ever finish at the national tournament until the success of the 2002-03 team.

2002-03 team

McKendree compiled a 34–4 overall record. A 10–0 mark in the AMC marked the first time that the Bearcats went undefeated in the league. At the 2003 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, McKendree posted three victories to advance to the NAIA Final Four. The Bearcats lost to eventual national champions Concordia University (California) in the semifinals. During the season, the Bearcats earned their first No. 1 ranking in the NAIA poll and entered the NAIA national tournament as the No. 2 seed, the highest seed ever for McKendree. The Bearcats also notched three winning streaks of at least 10 games during the season. Matt Laur was recognized as NAIA Player of the Year, the first McKendree athlete to earn the award in Division I. Laur also became the Bearcats’ all-time leading scorer in 2002-03.

2006-07 team

McKendree used a late season surge and runner-up finish in the American Midwest Conference Tournament to earn its first NAIA Division I National Championship bid in three years. Statham guided the Bearcats to an overall record of 23–12 and an 8–4 mark in AMC regular-season play. In the 2007 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the Bearcats topped Mountain State University (West Virginia) in the first round and lost and were eliminated in the second round by Faulkner University (Alabama).

2007-08 team

Statham entered the 2007-08 season with 938 coaching victories and as the all-time wins leader in men’s college basketball history at the four-year level. He and Texas Tech coach Bob Knight are the only men’s basketball coaches at senior colleges or universities with 900 coaching wins.

This team finished the season with a 27–7 record. In the 2008 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the Bearcats beat Texas Wesleyan University in the first round and were eliminated in the second round by Campbellsville University.

Entering the 2008-2009 season, Statham has 965 career wins.

Milestones

#On Nov. 15, 2002, Statham guided the Bearcats to an 88-87 victory against Mountain State University, making him the NAIA’s all-time leader in career victories with career win No. 817. [Cummings, 15 Nov 2002]
#On Dec. 1, 2004, Statham led McKendree to an 83–72 victory over Maryville University, marking his 880th career win, pushing Statham past University of North Carolina head coach Dean Smith for the all-time wins record among college basketball coaches. [Cummings, 1 Dec 2004]
#On Nov. 25, 2005, Statham reached the 900-win mark as the Bearcats defeated Freed-Hardeman University, 73–69.
#On January 12, 2008, Statham reached the 950-win mark as the Bearcats defeated Williams Baptist College, 98–73.

Honors

Statham has been named the NAIA-Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year eleven times and in 1987 he was inducted into the IBCA-NAIA Hall of Fame. In 1998, Statham’s career accomplishments and achievements were recognized with his induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame. Statham has received the American Midwest Conference Coach of the Year award six different times, and he was also a six-time recipient of the NAIA District 20 Coach of the Year.

He was selected as the 2001-02 NAIA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year. In 2005, Statham was recognized at the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) national convention in St. Louis with the Guardians of the Game Leadership Award, an honor bestowed by his peers. Also in 2005, Statham, for his outstanding contributions to sports in the United States, was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the United States Sports Academy.

In 2006, the Lebanon City Council honored Statham by renaming a roadway on the McKendree campus, Harry Statham Way. The University's gymnasium, the Harry M. Statham Sports Center (capacity 1500), is also named for him.

Notes

References

*Cherner, Reid. "College Hoops’ Biggest Winner". "USA Today". 27 Dec. 2005. 11 July 2008. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2005-12-26-statham-record_x.htm

*Cummings, Scott. "STATHAM BREAKS NAIA WIN RECORD AT 817 AS MEN'S BASKETBALL HOLDS OFF MOUNTAIN STATE, 88–87". "Bearcat Sports Report". 15 Nov 2002. 12 July 2008. http://original.mckendree.edu/sports/2002-2003/News_and_Reports/November_02/11_15_mbball_mountainst.htm

*Cummings, Scott. "HARRY STATHAM BECOMES COLLEGE BASKETBALL’S ALL-TIME WINS LEADER AS McKENDREE DEFEATS MARYVILLE, 83–72". "Bearcat Sports Report". 1 Dec 2004. 12 July 2008. http://original.mckendree.edu/sports/2004-05/04-05%20news/december_04/12_1_mbbmaryville.htm

*Dodd, Dennis. "Unknown to most, NAIA coach Statham on cusp of major record". "CBS Sportsline". 26 Nov 2004. 11 July 2008. http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/7930739/1

*Ellsworth, Tim. "When character trumps talent". "Baptist Press Sports". 2 Dec 2004. 12 July 2008. http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=19655

*"Head Coach Harry Statham". McKendree University Athletics. 11 July 208. http://athletics.mckendree.edu/roster.asp?playerid=549&sport=5

External links

* [http://athletics.mckendree.edu/index.asp?path=mbball&tab=mens McKendree Basketball]
* [http://www.mckendree.edu/facultystaff.aspx?id=183 Statham's MU faculty page]
* [http://bsu.edu/president/article/0,1370,53850-5961-28693,00.html Jo Ann Gora's Ball State Univ. commencement address]
* [http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=3&GA=93&DocTypeId=HR&DocNum=1291&GAID=3&LegID=14147&SpecSess=&Session= Illinois House Resolution 1291]
* [http://www.asama.org/awards/DSA/index.html United States Sports Academy Distinguished Service Awards]