Bruce Drake

Known for his aggressive and competitive spirit, Bruce Drake excelled in college athletics before becoming one of America's most influential basketball coaches.

A 1929 All-American in basketball at the University of Oklahoma, Drake also participated in football and track. He lettered two years as quarterback even though he never played high school football. In track, he won the Rice Relays and Kansas Relays in pole vaulting.

After graduation, Drake went on to coach championship basketball teams in four different levels: college, AAU, Armed Forces and the Olympics. He coached OU's freshman for 10 years before taking over the varsity in 1939, which he led for 17 years. The Sooners won more than 200 games under Drake, and won or tied for six conference championships. Drake had a 6-3 record in NCAA tournament action and the three teams that defeated him all ended up the National Champion.

In addition to coaching basketball, he also coached the University's golf and swimming programs. His golf teams won 33 consecutive duals in the program's first year. The swimming program set a couple of Big Six records and placed in the NCAA tournament twice although the Sooners didn't have swimming pool.

Drake left OU in 1956 and was the assistant basketball coach of the American Olympic basketball team that won the gold, defeating the Russian team twice. This was one of the greatest Olympic basketball teams, averaging 99.5 points offensively, while holding their opponents to an average of 44.9 points.

He also led the AAU Wichita Vickers basketball team to the National Industrial League Championship in 1957. The "Drake Shuffle", has been called one of basketball's biggest innovations, giving small teams a chance against taller and stronger opponents. Drake also enhanced the goaltending rule, forbidding defensive players from touching the ball in its downward flight toward the goal.

Drake served as president of the National Basketball Coaches Association and Chairman of the Joint Rules Committee of the U.S. and Canada. He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971 and elected to the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame as a player and coach. His honors include inductions into the All-College Tournament Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City and the OU basketball practice facility named in his honor.

Drake died in 1983.