Duane Klueh
{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1926–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Duane Klueh
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 175
| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|1|6}}
| birth_place = Bottineau, North Dakota, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|6|2|1926|1|6}}
| death_place = Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
| highschool = State (Terre Haute, Indiana)
| college = Indiana State (1946–1949)
| draft_year = 1949
| draft_round = 8
| draft_pick = –
| draft_team = Boston Celtics
| career_start = 1949
| career_end = 1951
| career_position = Guard
| career_number = 24, 6
| coach_start = 1955
| coach_end = 1967
| years1 = {{nbay|1949|full=y}}
| team1 = Denver Nuggets
| years2 = {{nbay|1949|end}}–{{nbay|1950|end}}
| team2 = Fort Wayne Pistons
| cyears1 = 1955–1967
| cteam1 = Indiana State
| highlights =
As player:
- Consensus second-team All-American (1948)
- NAIA tournament MVP (1948)
- No. 54 retired by Indiana State Sycamores
As coach:
- 4× ICC Coach of the Year (1959, 1963, 1966, 1967)
- 2× ICC champion (1965–1966; 1966–1967)
}}
Duane M. Klueh (January 6, 1926 – June 2, 2024) was an American basketball player and coach. Born in Bottineau, North Dakota, he was raised in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was the head men's basketball coach at Indiana State University for 12 seasons (1955–1967). As a Head Coach, he remains the leader in wins. Klueh played professionally in the NBA from 1949 to 1951.
Basketball career
Klueh had a spectacular collegiate career; as a junior (1947–48) he was #2 in the nation in points scored (597), while ranking #10 in point-per-game (17.6).{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.org/championships/statistics/2015-16-ncaa-mens-basketball-records|title = 2015–16 NCAA Men's Basketball Records}} After leading the Sycamores to the NAIA Finals, he was selected 'All-American' by the Helms Foundation as well as winning the Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award in the 1948 NAIA tournament.
Klueh was taken in the eighth round of the 1949 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He never played for the Celtics, but was a member of the Denver Nuggets and Fort Wayne Pistons; averaging over 8 pts during his (2-yr) career.
After his NBA career ended, he returned to Indiana and accepted his first coaching position at Fowler High School in Benton County, Indiana. He was named the Indiana State Head Coach after the 1954–55 season at age 28. He resigned at age 40 (1966–67) citing the rigors and pressures of recruiting.
During his twelve-year tenure, he led the Sycamores to a cumulative record of 182–122, 71–60 in conference play. He won three conference titles and had five post-season berths; his post-season record was 3–6. He also led the Sycamores through their transition from the NAIA to the NCAA.
Klueh is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame,{{cite web|url=http://hoopshall.com/hall/k/duane-klueh/ |title=Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame » Duane Klueh |accessdate=2010-01-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126080551/http://hoopshall.com/hall/k/duane-klueh/ |archivedate=2010-11-26 }} (1988), the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famehttp://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&KEY=&ATCLID=272670{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (2006), the NAIA Hall of Fame and was a charter inductee to the Indiana State University Hall of Fame in 1982. He will be inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.https://www.smallcollegebasketball.com/hall-of-fame {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}
His jersey #54 is only one of five numbers retired by Indiana State University.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gosycamores.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15200&ATCLID=1147152|title = Duane Klueh Jersey}}
Klueh held the career scoring record when he graduated in 1948 and is still in the Top Ten in total points (#9; 1,432 points) and scoring average (#10; 15.7 ppg).
Tennis career
In addition to his success on the collegiate hardwood, Klueh also enjoyed a standout career in tennis; winning the 1948 Little States (Collegiate) Singles Championship in Indiana.
Klueh returned to ISU following his professional basketball career and assumed the role of head tennis coach, leading the Sycamores to a school-record 278 wins during two coaching tenures totaling over 26 seasons. ISU's on-campus tennis complex, constructed in 1996, bears his name.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gosycamores.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15200&ATCLID=1147152|title = Duane Klueh Jersey}}
Death
Klueh died in Terre Haute on June 2, 2024, at the age of 98.[https://gosycamores.com/news/2024/6/3/general-beloved-isu-legend-duane-klueh-passes-away-at-98.aspx Beloved ISU Legend Duane Klueh Passes Away at 98][https://www.tribstar.com/sports/terre-haute-and-isu-legend-klueh-dead-at-98/article_87470ce8-2170-11ef-bff2-234687c6e377.html Terre Haute and ISU legend Duane Klueh dead at 98]
Career statistics
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
=Playing=
==NBA==
===Regular season===
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" | |||||
| Year
! Team ! GP ! FG% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! PPG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:left;"| 1949–50
|style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 33 | .364 | .725 | – | 1.9 | 10.0 |
| style="text-align:left;"| 1949–50
|style="text-align:left;"| Fort Wayne | 19 | .438 | .667 | – | 1.5 | 7.6 |
| style="text-align:left;"| 1950–51
|style="text-align:left;"| Fort Wayne | 61 | .343 | .734 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 7.4 |
| class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 113 | .362 | .719 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 8.2 |
===Playoffs===
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" | |||||
| Year
! Team ! GP ! FG% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! PPG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:left;"| 1950
| style="text-align:left;"| Fort Wayne | 2 | .200 | 1.000 | 1.5 | 4.5 | |
| style="text-align:left;"| 1951
|style="text-align:left;"| Fort Wayne | 2 | .167 | – | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 4 | .188 | 1.000 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.8 |
=Head coaching record=
{{CBB Yearly Record Start
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=Indiana State Sycamores
|conference=Indiana Collegiate Conference
|startyear=1955
|endyear=1967
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1955–56
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 8–16
| conference = 2–10
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1956–57
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 12–13
| conference = 2–10
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1957–58
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 11–14
| conference = 2–10
| confstanding = 7th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1958–59
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 17–10
| conference = 9–3
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NAIA Second Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1959–60
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 7–13
| conference = 4–8
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1960–61
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 17–9
| conference = 9–3
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1961–62
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 19–11
| conference = 7–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NAIA First Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1962–63
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 18–7
| conference = 8–4
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NAIA Second Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1963–64
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 17–8
| conference = 6–6
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1964–65
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 13–10
| conference = 7–5
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1965–66
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 22–6
| conference = 9–3
| confstanding = 1st-T
| postseason = NCAA College Division First Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1966–67
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 21–5
| conference = 11–1
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA College Division Second Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Indiana State
| overall = 182–122 (.599)
| confrecord = 76–60 ({{Winning percentage|76|60}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall= 182–122 (.599)
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Basketballstats|nba=|bbr=k/kluehdu01}}
- {{sports links}}
{{Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{1948 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klueh, Duane}}
Category:All-American college men's basketball players
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:American tennis coaches
Category:Basketball coaches from Indiana
Category:Basketball coaches from North Dakota
Category:Basketball players from Indiana
Category:Basketball players from North Dakota
Category:Boston Celtics draft picks
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:Denver Nuggets (1948–1950) players
Category:Fort Wayne Pistons players
Category:High school basketball coaches in Indiana
Category:Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball coaches