Gene Bartow

Gene Bartow

Gene Bartow (born August 18, 1930 in Browning, Missouri; died January 3, 2012 in Birmingham) was UAB's first men's basketball coach. Over his career, he coached 34 years at six universities, amassing 647 victories .

Bartow began his coaching career at Shelbina and St Charles High Schools in Missouri, winning a state championship in 1957. He coached at Central Missouri State University from 1961-1964, Valparaiso University from 1964-1970, Memphis State University from 1970 until 1974, and he led the Tigers to the 1973 NCAA national championship game and consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles. While there he coached the Puerto Rican national team in the 1972 Munich Olympics and coached U. S. All-Star teams in China and the U. S. National team to a bronze medal in the 1974 World Championship.

In 1974 Bartow accepted the head coaching position at the University of Illinois. Illinois finished 8-18 in his only season coaching the Fighting Illini, and Bartow left his position to succeed John Wooden as the head coach of UCLA. Bartow coached at UCLA from 1975 to 1977, guiding them to a 52-9 record, including a berth in the 1976 Final Four.

Bartow left UCLA after the 1977 season to take over the job of creating an athletic program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT in the program's second year of existence, and followed that up with seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982. Bartow retired from coaching in 1996 and was succeeded on the court by his son, Murry. His record with the Blazers was 366-203 in 18 seasons, with 9 NCAA tournament appearances and no sub-.500 seasons.

He retired from the athletic director's position in 2000 and became an advisor to the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team. In 2007 he became president of Hoops LP, which operates the franchise and its FedExForum arena.

In 1997, UAB renamed its basketball venue, Bartow Arena, in his honor. Bartow was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and into the UAB Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

In early 2009 Bartow was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. He received treatment at UAB Hospital and died in January 2012. He was survived by his wife, Ruth, three children, and eight grandchildren.

Preceded by: (created program)	UAB Head Men's Basketball Coach 1978–1995	Succeeded by: Murry Bartow
Preceded by: (created program)	UAB Athletic Director 1978–2000	Succeeded by: Herman Frazier

References

• Irvine, Steve (July 5, 2009) "Gene Bartow's inception into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame most deserved." Birmingham News
• Irvine, Steve (January 3, 2012) "Gene Bartow, father of UAB athletics, dies at 81." Birmingham News
• "Gene Bartow" (January 3, 2012) Wikipedia - accessed January 4, 20112