Richard Fox (coach)

Richard Anthony Fox (1899 – December 9, 1960) was an American college basketball coach at the University of Idaho in Moscow. He led the Vandals for nine seasons (1927–1936) and was also the head baseball coach and an assistant in football.

This article is about the college basketball coach. For other persons, see Richard Fox.
Richard Fox
Biographical details
Born1899 (1899)
Nebraska (?)
DiedDecember 9, 1960(1960-12-09) (aged 61)
Cottonwood, Idaho
Alma materUniversity of Idaho, 1922
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1927–1936Idaho
Baseball
1928–1936Idaho
Football
1927–1935Idaho (asst.)

Career

From Nezperce High School in Lewis County, Idaho,[1] Fox played varsity basketball at Idaho in the early 1920s. During his final two seasons in 1922 and 1923, "Bullet" was team captain: Idaho made its debut in the Pacific Coast Conference and won consecutive titles.[2][3][4] Fox was also a catcher on the baseball team,[5] and had played football as a freshman.[6][7]

After college, Fox coached multiple sports at the high school level, in nearby Potlatch and then three years at Pocatello in southeastern Idaho.[8] He led his undefeated PHS Indians to the state title in basketball in 1927 at Moscow;[9][10][11] a month later, UI head coach Dave MacMillan accepted the head coaching job at the University of Minnesota,[12][13] and Fox was hired to succeed his mentor at his alma mater.[4][14]

Prior to his second season as head coach of the Vandals, the Memorial Gymnasium opened in November 1928.[15][16] Fox coached at Idaho for nine years, announced his resignation in June 1936,[7][8][17][18] and entered the private sector. His successor was Forrest Twogood, an assistant coach at USC in Los Angeles.

Death and legacy

Fox died in Cottonwood at age 61 from a heart attack; he is buried next to his wife Mary (1899–1972) at the city cemetery in Moscow.

He was a charter member of the Vandal Hall of Fame, inducted in 2008.

The Rich and Mary Fox Memorial Scholarship at was established in 1964 and is awarded to the senior Vandal student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average;[19][20] the athlete must have represented UI creditably in any intercollegiate sport.

Head coaching record

Basketball

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Idaho Vandals (Pacific Coast Conference) (1927–1936)
1927–28 Idaho 11–84–63rd (N. div.)
1928–29 Idaho 8–106–42nd (N. div.)
1929–30 Idaho 6–184–125th (N. div.)
1930–31 Idaho 3–191–155th (N. div.)
1931–32 Idaho 8–162–145th (N. div.)
1932–33 Idaho 16–98–8T-3rd (N. div.)
1933–34 Idaho 13–134–125th (N. div.)
1934–35 Idaho 10–164–125th (N. div.)
1935–36 Idaho 10–152–145th (N. div.)
Idaho: 85–124 (.407)35–97 (.265)
Total:85–124 (.407)

      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

References
  1. "Juniors". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. (1922 junior class, volume 19). Spring 1921. p. 62.
  2. "Basketball: 1921-22 season". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. (1923 junior class, volume 20). Spring 1922. p. 161.
  3. "Idaho five cinches conference title". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 4, 1922. p. 14.
  4. "Fox coaches basketball". Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). (University of Idaho). August 12, 1927. p. 7.
  5. "Baseball: 1921 season". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. (1923 junior class, volume 20). Spring 1922. p. 167.
  6. "Football: 1918 season". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. (1920 junior class, volume 17). Spring 1919. p. 117.
  7. "Rich Fox turns in resignation as Idaho coach". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. June 2, 1936. p. 7.
  8. "Rich Fox quits Idaho coaching". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 2, 1936. p. 11.
  9. "State Interscholastic Tournament". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. (volume 25). Spring 1927. p. 174.
  10. "Pocatello wins". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). March 13, 1927. p. 12.
  11. "Idaho basketball trophies awarded". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 14, 1927. p. 16.
  12. "M'Millan gets Minnesota job". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 17, 1927. p. 1, sports.
  13. "David MacMillan goes to Big Ten". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 7, 1927. p. 3, sports.
  14. "Basketball: 1927-28 season". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. (volume 26). Spring 1928. p. 178.
  15. "Memorial Gymnasium". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1929. p. 9.
  16. "Basketball: PCC". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1929. p. 188.
  17. "Fox developed stars at Idaho". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). June 2, 1936. p. 9.
  18. "Baseball: 1936 season". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1937. p. 212.
  19. "High scholarship needed for junior athlete award". Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). (University of Idaho). April 24, 1964. p. 8.
  20. "Brainiest junior athlete at UI to earn grant". Idaho State Journal. (Pocatello). April 15, 1964. p. 22.
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