John Oldham obit

John Oldham, coach of WKU's 1971 Final Four basketball team, dies at age 97

 

 He was not on the list.

John Oldham, the head coach of the only Western Kentucky University men’s basketball team to reach the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four in 1971, died Monday in Bowling Green. He was 97.

“We are very saddened to learn of the passing of John Oldham,” WKU athletics director Todd Stewart said. “Oldham is one of the all-time iconic figures in Western Kentucky University athletics history who impacted the Hilltoppers as a player, head coach, athletics director and developer of the red towel athletics logo. … A soft spoken and enormously kind man, I truly enjoyed knowing him, visiting with him and learning so much about WKU from him.”

Oldham was a 1949 WKU graduate who coached men’s basketball at Tennessee Tech for nine seasons (1955-64) before becoming the Hilltoppers’ coach in 1964.

Oldham compiled a 146-41 record in seven seasons at Western, led the program to four NCAA Tournament trips and one NIT appearance and earned Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors four times.

Oldham’s 1970-71 team, led by All-American Jim McDaniels, finished 24-6 after losing to Villanova 92-89 in double overtime in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. WKU’s appearance in the Final Four later was vacated by the NCAA after an investigation found McDaniels signed with an agent before his college career had finished.

Oldham became WKU’s athletic director following the 1970-71 season and served in that position until retiring in 1986. During his tenure, WKU moved from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Sun Belt Conference in 1982.

Oldham was born in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, and earned All-State honors as a basketball player at Hartford High School. He was an All-American basketball player at WKU in 1949 and played two seasons (1949-51) with the NBA’s Fort Wayne Pistons.

Oldham’s jersey No. 42 is retired by WKU, and the court at E.A. Diddle Arena was named “John Oldham Court” in 2012. Oldham also is credited with the concept of WKU’s red towel logo in honor of Diddle, who clutched a red towel during his 42 seasons as WKU’s head coach.

He has been inducted into the Lions Club Kentucky High School Hall of Fame (1969), Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame (1986), Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame (1989), Kentucky High School Hall of Fame (1990), Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame (1990), WKU Athletic Hall of Fame (1991) and WKU Hall of Distinguished Alumni (2002).

A private funeral service is set for Nov. 30 at J.C. Kirby & Son Funeral Chapel in Bowling Green. Burial, with military honors, will be at Fairview Cemetery. The family is planning a memorial service in the spring.