Hall of Fame
A native of Sweet Springs, MO., Maury John is the initial “Coaches Wing” selection to the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame.
The first basketball coach in Valley history to be named Valley Coach of the Year three consecutive seasons (1968-1970), John compiled a 211-131 career record in 13 campaigns at Drake. The winningest basketball coach in Bulldog history, John was also named Valley Coach of the Year in 1963-64.
In ’63-64, DU posted its first 20-win season (21-7), received its first-ever top 10 ranking in both AP and UPI polls and captured its first Valley coaching victory list and third on the league’s coaching longevity chart.
He began an amazing three-year run of success in the NCAA Tournament, starting with the 1969 national tourney. DU had a 26-5 overall record, shared the conference regular-season title with Louisville (both 13-3) and defeated the Cardinals (77-73) in a playoff for the league’s bid to the NCAA Tournament.
DU defeated Texas A&M (81-66) and Colorado State (84-77) to open the NCAA Tournament, but lost to national champion UCLA (85-82) in the national semis in Louisville. DU defeated North Carolina (104-84) in the third-place game.
In 1969-70, Drake was picked last in the preseason conference poll, but the Bulldogs compiled a 22-7 overall slate, won The Valley regular-season title outright (14-2) and advanced to the finals of the Midwest Regional. Drake defeated Houston (71-64), before losing to New Mexico State (87-78).
In 1970-71 – John’s final season at Drake, the Bulldogs registered a 21-8 final record, shared the conference’s regular-season title with Louisville and Saint Louis (all three had 9-5 marks), but Drake beat Louisville (86-71) in a playoff for the league’s automatic bid to he NCAA Tournament. Drake beat Notre Dame in overtime (79-72) but lost to Kansas (73-71) in the Midwest Regional final.
Following the 1970-71 season, he was hired as head coach at Iowa State University, where he posted a 43-35 record in three seasons.
Prior to his Drake tenure, he collected a 285-58 record and two national titles (1954 and 1955) in 12 seasons at Moberly Junior College. One of five charter members of the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame (1984), he was inducted into the state of Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.
John received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Central Missouri State in 1941 and a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1950.