John E. Erickson (basketball)

John Elmer Erickson (June 19, 1927 – March 18, 2020) was an American basketball coach and executive who was the first general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the losing Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin in 1970.

Background

Erickson was born in Rockford, Illinois on June 19, 1927.[1] He played on the Rockford East High School basketball and tennis teams. Erickson graduated from college in 1949 after being a Little All-American basketball player for Beloit College. He was the college's first player to score over 1000 points in a career that spanned three full seasons and two half seasons. He also represented the college for three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tennis tournaments. Erickson died on March 18, 2020, at the age of 92 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[2]

Career

After college, he coached high school basketball teams at Beloit, Wisconsin and Stevens Point, Wisconsin that advanced to the state competition. Erickson was drafted in 1953, serving for two years in the United States Army. He began coaching college basketball at Lake Forest College, compiling 34 wins and 38 losses for three seasons between 1955 and 1958. He served as an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin–Madison for the 1958–59 season. The following year, he succeeded Bud Foster as head coach, and compiled a 100–114 record in nine seasons. His 1961 and 1962 teams finished second in the Big Ten Conference, the only times they would finish higher than fourth in Big Ten play from 1950 to 1998. His 1962 team upset an Ohio State team that was ranked number one at the time and led by Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek. He remained at Wisconsin until he was hired as the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks expansion team on April 3, 1968.[3]

After Erickson resigned as the general manager, he won the Republican Party primary, but lost in his 1970 run for the United States Senate against incumbent William Proxmire.[4]

After the loss, Erickson became president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a position that he held for 15 years. The Big Eight Conference hired Erickson to be its director of basketball in 1988, a position that he held until he was promoted to be the assistant commissioner.

Awards

Erickson is inducted in four halls of fame. He was inducted in the Lake Forest College hall of fame in 1989 and Beloit College's Hall of Honor in 1968.

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Lake Forest Foresters (College Conference of Illinois) (1955–1958)
1955–56 Lake Forest 14–97–75th
1956–57 Lake Forest 7–173–117th
1957–58 Lake Forest 13–128–63rd
Lake Forest: 34–3818–24
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1959–1968)
1959–60 Wisconsin 8–164–109th
1960–61 Wisconsin 7–174–108th
1961–62 Wisconsin 17–710–42nd
1962–63 Wisconsin 14–107–76th
1963–64 Wisconsin 8–162–1210th
1964–65 Wisconsin 9–134–108th
1965–66 Wisconsin 11–136–87th
1966–67 Wisconsin 13–118–64th
1967–68 Wisconsin 13–117–75th
Wisconsin: 100–11452–74
Total:134–152

References
  1. John Erickson-obituary
  2. "Former Badgers coach, ex-Bucks general manager John Erickson dies at 92". Wisconsin State Journal. March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  3. Temkin, Barry. "Good Knight: Badgers finally over Bobby's rejection," Chicago Tribune, Thursday, March 23, 2000. Retrieved March 26, 2020
  4. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1971,' Elections in Wisconsin, pg. 295, 311
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