Abe Lemons

Abe Lemons (November 21, 1922 - September 2, 2002) was one of the most successful head basketball coaches in Oklahoma history.

Lemons grew up in the town of Walters, Oklahoma. He served in World War II in the Pacific and often referred to the pressures of his war experience to put sports pressures into perspective. He joined Oklahoma City University (OCU) as a student in 1947.

At OCU, Lemons excelled as a player and coach in basketball for more than 40 years. In 34 seasons of coaching, he accomplished 599 victories and 343 losses, ranking fifth among the winningest men's active collegiate coaches. He coached several All-America & future NBA players, such as Arnold Short & Hub Reed.

Lemons spent 25 years as head coach at OCU. His first 18 years at OCU from 1955–1973, during which he led OCU to a 309-181 record, two NIT berths and seven NCAA tournament appearances in 1956, 1957, 1963–1966 and 1973. OCU also won the All-College Tournament in 1965.

From 1973-1976 Lemons was head coach at Pan American University, where he was named 1974-1975 Texas Coach of the Year. He took the head coaching position at the University of Texas in 1976. He served as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1977 and was named National Coach of the Year in 1978. Lemons' last season at Texas was 1982.

In his second stint at OCU, he took the Chiefs to the NAIA Championship tournament once and to the District IX playoffs four times. Lemons was Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1985-1986. OCU had an undefeated season record and a trip to the NAIA tournament in 1986-1987. That year, they were ranked number one throughout the season. The season ended with a 34-1 record, Lemons' was named District 9 Coach of the Year and Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. In 1987, he was named Basketball Times Coach of the Year. In 1989, he received the Jim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award.

During his 25 years with OCU, Lemons posted a record of 432-264. He brought positive national attention to the state of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and OCU. He established himself as a "teacher of men," not only in sports, but in the values of life, as proven by the success and leadership accomplishments of his students and players.

Lemons died on September 2, 2002 of complications from Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 79.

Notable quotes

Lemons is noted for many humorous and insightful quotes he has made over his career, including the following:

• "You out rebounded a dead man by one."

After a 7 foot center got only one rebound in the first half of a game.

• "You may be big in New York, but in Walters, Oklahoma, you're nobody."

to broadcaster Howard Cosell

• "If you had come with me, you could be the principal of a high school by now."

to Johnny Bench, whom he tried to recruit with at Oklahoma City University.

• "Damn referees. I'll miss them less than anybody."

after losing his final game by one point, in a bid for victory No. 600

• "Hey, some places this would be a foul!"

while at the scorers' table holding up a tooth that had been dislodged from the mouth of his player, James Washington

• "You mean in the state?"

When asked if he felt his 1976 University of Texas basketball team should be ranked in the top twenty that season

• "That foul wouldn't have killed a gnat."

after losing his final game on a free throw after a disputed foul

• "How hard is it to coach track? Tell 'em to stay to the left and get back as fast as you can."

after being fired by Texas Athletics Director and former Kansas State track coach DeLoss Dodds

• "Finish last in your league and they call you 'Idiot'. Finish last in medical school and they call you 'Doctor'."

• "I never substitute just to substitute. I play my regulars. The only way a guy gets off the floor is if he dies."

• "One day of practice is like one day of clean living. It doesn't do you any good."

• "I don't jog. If I die I want to be sick."

• "Doctors bury their mistakes, but mine are still on scholarship."

• "I hope they notice the mistletoe tied to my coattails as I leave town."

• "We don't pray after a game. That's too late."

• "At Pan American one year the only player coming back was named Tree McCullough. But hell, his name could have been Stumpy."

• "It was the toughest seven man zone we faced all year."

• "I'm not playing favorites. All my favorites have graduated."

• "We ran all over Texas-Arlington last season, 84-83. Ozie and Rich scored 71 points for us. After the game a reporter asked me how I thought we'd have done without them. I said, "Figure it out for yourself. We'da got beat 83-13."

• " We went to Alaska once and they made us honorary Alaskans. Then we went to Hawaii and they made us honorary Hawaiians. We're going to the Virgin Islands this year."

• "I was at OCU 23 years and today I can give you the addresses of every kid who played for me, and what he's doing now. To me, that's what coaching is all about."

• When asked how to stop illegal recruiting Abe said, "Just give every coach the same amount of money and tell them they can keep what’s left over."

• When asked about running set plays, Abe answered, "There are only two plays that I know, Romeo and Juliet and put the damn ball in the basket."

• "It was a hole in one contest and I had a three."