Fred Schaus

Fred Schaus (born June 30, 1925 in Newark, Ohio) was a basketball star, coach and athletic director for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, player for the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks, GM and coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, coach of Purdue University basketball, and was a member of the NCAA Basketball Committee.

College career

Schaus played in WVU's basketball program, earning the record of first to score 1,000 career points (1,009). He was also selected to the All-American team in 1949.

Pro career

Schaus left West Virginia to join the Fort Wayne Pistons in the 1949-1950 season. He scored 14.3 points a game and a year later scored a career-best 15.3 points a game. He was selected to play in the first NBA All-Star Game and scored eight points for the West. However, he only averaged 14.1 points per game in 1952, and then in 1953 it dropped to 10.1 points per game.

He was traded to the Knicks halfway through the 1954 season and ended his NBA career that season with 7.1 points per game average.

College coaching career

After his retirement from the NBA, Schaus went back to coaching at WVU. In his first season, he led the Mountaineers to a 19-11 mark and an NCAA tournament appearance. In the next five seasons, he posted an amazing 127-26 (.831) record, which included five consecutive NCAA tournament berths. He even led WVU to the NCAA final in 1959, but lost to California 71-70.

After leaving the NBA coaching he returned to the college ranks to coach Purdue to a 105-59 record, and led them to the NIT finals in 1974. He then owned the distinction of being the only coach to reach the NIT finals, NCAA finals, and the NBA Finals.

After 1981, Schaus returned to WVU to serve as the athletic director.

Pro coaching career

After the 1960 season, he left college coaching for the Lakers and reunited with former WVU star, Jerry West. Schaus guided the Lakers to seven consecutive playoff appearances, including 4 Western Conference Championships in 5 year. (1962, 1963, 1965, and 1966) Then left to the front office as the Lakers GM. He assembled the Lakers to a record 33 consecutive wins, and an NBA championship in 1972.