Joe Dan Gold

Joe Dan Gold

Gold during the 1962–63 season
Biographical details
Born	(1942-06-07)June 7, 1942 Benton, Kentucky
Died	April 14, 2011(2011-04-14) (aged 68) West Liberty, Kentucky
Playing career
1960–1963	Mississippi State
Position(s)	Forward
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1964–1965	Mississippi State (assistant)
1965–1970	Mississippi State
1971–1973	Paducah JC
1973–1974	Mercer
Head coaching record
Overall	67–82

Joe Dan Gold (June 7, 1942 – April 14, 2011) was an American basketball player and coach, most notably at Mississippi State University.

Early life and college

Gold, a 6'5 forward was born in Benton, Kentucky; he played at Mississippi State from 1960 to 1963, where he helped lead the Bulldogs to three shared or outright Southeastern Conference titles playing for coach Babe McCarthy. Gold averaged 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for his career. He was named third team All-SEC as a senior and was a member of the SEC academic honor roll.

In his senior year, Gold was captain of the first Mississippi State basketball team to compete against African-American players. After turning down NCAA tournament invitations in previous years, Coach McCarthy and his team accepted a bid to the 1963 NCAA tournament (the school's first), where they faced an integrated Loyola of Chicago team in what has since been named the Game of Change. The Bulldogs had to sneak out of the state to play the game, as they defied an order from Mississippi governor Ross Barnett. Gold's pregame handshake with Loyola star Jerry Harkness was the subject of a photograph that was heavily circulated in newspapers across the United States. Loyola won the game and eventually went on to win the national championship that year.

Coaching career

Following the conclusion of his collegiate playing career, Gold turned to coaching. He became the freshman coach at his alma mater and ultimately an assistant to his mentor Babe McCarthy. After McCarthy resigned in 1965, Gold was named head coach at the age of 23. Gold coached the Bulldogs for five years, compiling a record of 51–74 and resigned in 1970.

Gold next coached at Paducah Junior College in Paducah, Kentucky, then took the reins at Mercer in 1973. However, he resigned at the end of his only season there, a successful 16–8 campaign.

Collegiate coaching record

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Mississippi State (Southeastern Conference) (1965–1970)
1965–66	Mississippi State	14–11	10–6	T-3rd
1966–67	Mississippi State	14–11	8–10	T-5th
1967–68	Mississippi State	9–17	5–13	8th
1968–69	Mississippi State	8–17	6–12	9th
1969–70	Mississippi State	6–18	3–15	10th
Mississippi State:		51–74 (.408)	32–56 (.364)
Mercer (Independent) (1973–1974)
1973–74	Mercer	16–8
Mercer:		16–8 (.667)
Total:		67–82 (.450)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Post coaching career

After leaving Mercer, Gold became a school administrator in his native Kentucky. He was enshrined in the Mississippi State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.

Gold died on April 14, 2011 following a long illness. He is survived by his wife Rosemarie and two children, John Douglas and JoMarie, the couple lived in West Liberty, Kentucky at the time of his death.