Dave MacMillan

{{Short description|American basketball coach}}

{{About|the American basketball coach|the New Zealand former racing driver|Dave McMillan}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Dave MacMillan

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1886|12|24}}

| birth_place = New York City, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1963|7|9|1886|12|24}}

| death_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

| alma_mater = University of Idaho

| player_years1 = 190x

| player_team1 = Oberlin

| coach_sport1 = Basketball

| coach_years2 = 1920–1927

| coach_team2 = Idaho

| coach_years3 = 1927–1942

| coach_team3 = Minnesota

| coach_years4 = 1945–1948

| coach_team4 = Minnesota

| coach_years5 = 1950

| coach_team5 = Tri-Cities Blackhawks

| coach_sport6 = Baseball

| coach_years7 = 1921–1927

| coach_team7 = Idaho

| coach_years8 = 1942–1947

| coach_team8 = Minnesota

| overall_record =

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

David MacMillan (December 24, 1886 – July 9, 1963) was an American basketball coach.{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1963/07/10/page/48/article/obituary-8-no-title |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |agency=Associated Press|title=MacMillan, 77 ex-coach of Gophers, dies |date=July 10, 1963 |page=4, sec. 3}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KUFYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5093%2C2083857 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |last=(Washington)|agency=Associated Press |title=Ex-Idaho coach taken by death|date=July 10, 1963 |page=13}} He was a longtime head coach at the University of Minnesota (18 seasons, 1927–42, 1945–48),{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fx0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BCUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2644%2C492547|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=United Press |title=MacMillan resigns as Minnesota coach|date=March 2, 1948 |page=2-part 2}} and briefly coached the NBA's Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1950, succeeding Red Auerbach.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oC8gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vSMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4386%2C496824|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=Associated Press |title=Dave MacMillan to coach Tricities| date=May 2, 1950|page=8-part 2}}

Before Minnesota, MacMillan was the head coach at the University of Idaho in Moscow,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=481XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s_QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3146%2C3839280|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|title=Minnesota cagers adopt new system |last=Metzger |first=Sol |date=January 18, 1929 |page=20 }} his alma mater. He led the Vandals for seven seasons,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rusUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4270%2C2877529 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=M'Millan gets Minnesota job |date=April 17, 1927 |page=1, sports}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xeoUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6476%2C1004176 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=David MacMillan goes to Big Ten |date=August 7, 1927 |page=3, sports}} from 1920 to 1927, the last six in the Pacific Coast Conference.{{cite web |url=http://issuu.com/uidahodigital/docs/gem1927/170 |publisher=Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook |title=Idaho basketball |year=1927 |page=166}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112907aab.html|publisher=University of Minnesota Athletics|title=Golden Gopher Men's Basketball Coaches|access-date=January 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116111237/http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112907aab.html|archive-date=January 16, 2014}}

In Idaho's first two seasons in the PCC, his upstart program won consecutive conference titles in 1922 {{nowrap|and 1923.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CcdXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UvQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4391%2C572544 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Idaho five cinches conference title |date=March 4, 1922 |page=14}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0MdXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bfQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6768%2C995779 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |last=Boas |first=Louis A. |title=Idaho five wins final contest |date=March 7, 1923 |page=16}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UKoiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n6cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1482%2C4633235 |work=Berkeley Daily Gazette |location=(California) |title=Idaho defeats Bears 29 to 25 captures title |date=March 7, 1923 |page=9}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=23VfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dS8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3002%2C437466 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |title=Idaho champion |date=March 7, 1923 |page=1}}{{cite news |url=https://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/argonaut/id/1545?_ga=2.76416144.404691314.1504546420-374550616.1499903542 |work=Argonaut |agency=University of Idaho |location=(Moscow) |title=Idaho's Vandals complete season |date=March 9, 1923 |page=1}}}} He also coached baseball{{cite web |url=http://issuu.com/uidahodigital/docs/gem1927/190 |publisher=Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook |title=Idaho baseball: 1926 season |year=1927 |page=186}} and freshman football at Idaho,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NaxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4670%2C5220427|newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|title=Stars to tutor teams at Idaho |date=September 17, 1922 |page=3-part 4}} and baseball at Minnesota from 1942 through 1947.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YToiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=95wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4403%2C2717041 |newspaper=Reading Eagle|location=(Pennsylvania)|agency=Associated Press |title=Minnesota court coach named baseball mentor|date=April 5, 1942 |page=13 }}

Born in New York City, he attended Oberlin College in Ohio before transferring to the University of Idaho.

MacMillan resigned at Minnesota at age 62 in March 1948, citing health reasons. After his brief stint with the Blackhawks, MacMillan served as an assistant coach of the Minneapolis Lakers under John Kundla, who had been a player and assistant under MacMillan at Minnesota. He died from cancer at age 76 in Minneapolis.