Frosty Cox
{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1908–1962)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Frosty Cox
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1908|1|22}}
| birth_place = Orlando, Oklahoma, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1962|5|22|1908|1|22}}
| death_place = Missoula, Montana, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_sport1 = Basketball
| player_years1 = 1928–1931
| player_team1 = Kansas
| player_sport2 = Football
| player_years2 = 1928–1930
| player_team2 = Kansas
| player_positions = Guard (basketball)
Halfback (football)
| coach_sport1 = Basketball
| coach_years1 = 1931–1936
| coach_team1 = Kansas (freshmen)
| coach_years2 = 1936–1950
| coach_team2 = Colorado
| coach_years3 = 1955–1962
| coach_team3 = Montana
| coach_sport4 = Football
| coach_years4 = 1931–1935
| coach_team4 = Kansas (assistant)
| coach_years5 = 1936–1939
| coach_team5 = Colorado (backfield)
| overall_record = 227–174
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = 2–4 (NCAA)
3–1 (NIT)
| championships = NIT (1940)
5 MSC regular season(1937–1940, 1942)
| awards = Basketball
First-team All-American – Christy Walsh (1930)
2× First-team All-Big Six (1930, 1931)
Football
Second-team All-Big Six (1930)
| coaching_records =
}}
Forrest B. "Frosty" Cox (January 22, 1908 – May 22, 1962) was an American college basketball coach. He was the head basketball coach at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1936 to 1950 and the University of Montana from 1955 to 1962, compiling a career record of 227–174.
Biography
Cox was a member Newton High School's 1926 state championship basketball team. They were invited to a national interscholastic tournament, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Dutch Clark-led Central High School team from Pueblo, Colorado.
Cox played football and basketball at the University of Kansas from 1928 to 1931. He was captain of the 1928–29 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team.{{cite news |title=Forrest Cox Received Kansas Big Six Medal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XT9XAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2&dq |access-date=6 April 2025 |work=Lawrence Journal-World |date=June 8, 1931}} He was named to the 1930 All-Big Six Conference football team and Knute Rockne's 1930 College Basketball All-American team. He graduated in 1931, but remained with the university as an assistant coach.
In 1935, Cox became the head men's basketball coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. He also served as the head of intramural athletics and an assistant football coach.{{cite news |title=Cox Is Selected As C. U. Mentor |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-xFAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6&dq |access-date=6 April 2025 |work=Lawrence Journal-World |date=March 16, 1935}} He was the position coach for Byron "Whizzer" White, during his All-American season in 1937.{{cite web |title=CU Hall of Fame - Frosty Cox |url=https://cubuffs.com/honors/cu-athletic-hall-of-fame/frosty-cox/11 |website=University of Colorado Athletics |access-date=1 January 2023}} Cox led the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team a 147–89 record, fiveMountain States Conference championships, three NCAA Tournaments, and two National Invitation Tournament, including the 1942 NCAA Final Four and the 1940 NIT title. The Buffaloes also received an invitation to the 1939 NCAA basketball tournament, but had to decline due to a flu outbreak. He resigned after the 1949–50 season to join his brother-in-law in the ranching business in Wakefield, Kansas.{{cite news |title="Frosty" Cox Is Going Into Ranching Business |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WRVGAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1&dq |access-date=6 April 2025 |work=Lawrence Journal-World |date=February 25, 1950}} In 1954, he was elected president of the Lower Republican Valley Development Association.{{cite news |title=Frosty Cox Heads Agency |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_otWAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2&dq |access-date=6 April 2025 |work=Lawrence Journal-World |date=June 2, 1954}}
In 1955, Cox returned to coaching at the University of Montana (then known as Montana State University).{{cite news |title="Frosty" Cox Hired as MSU Cage Coach |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AdMnAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA32&dq |access-date=6 April 2025 |work=The Spokesman-Review |date=April 17, 1955}} He had an overall record of 80–85 at MSU. He was not retained after the 1961–62 season due to a disagreement with the university's decision to deemphasize athletics and recruiting. On May 22, 1962, he suffered a fatal heart attack while undergoing treatment in a Missoula, Montana hospital.{{cite news |title=Frosty Cox Dies of Attack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tqlWAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA8&dq |access-date=6 April 2025 |work=The Spokesman-Review |date=May 23, 1962}}
Head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Colorado Buffaloes
| conference = Mountain States Conference
| startyear = 1935
| endyear = 1942
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1935–36
| name = Colorado
| overall = 6–8
| conference = 6–8
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1936–37
| name = Colorado
| overall = 14–6
| conference = 10–2
| confstanding = T–1st
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1937–38
| name = Colorado
| overall = 15–6
| conference = 10–2
| confstanding = T–1st
| postseason = NIT Runner-up
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1938–39
| name = Colorado
| overall = 14–4
| conference = 10–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = postseason
| season = 1939–40
| name = Colorado
| overall = 17–4
| conference = 11–1
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Regional Fourth Place, NIT Champion
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1940–41
| name = Colorado
| overall = 10–6
| conference = 7–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1941–42
| name = Colorado
| overall = 16–2
| conference = 11–1
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Final Four
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Colorado Buffaloes
| conference = Mountain States Conference
| startyear = 1944
| endyear = 1947
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1944–45
| name = Colorado
| overall = 13–3
| conference = 9–1
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1945–46
| name = Colorado
| overall = 12–6
| conference = 9–3
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Regional Regional Third Place
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1946–47
| name = Colorado
| overall = 7–11
| conference = 5–7
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Colorado Buffaloes
| conference = Big Seven Conference
| startyear = 1947
| endyear = 1950
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1947–48
| name = Colorado
| overall = 7–14
| conference = 4–8
| confstanding = T–6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1948–49
| name = Colorado
| overall = 6–12
| conference = 4–8
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1949–50
| name = Colorado
| overall = 14–8
| conference = 6–6
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Colorado
| overall = 147–89 ({{Winning percentage|147|89}})
| confrecord = 102–54 ({{Winning percentage|102|54}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Montana Grizzlies
| conference = Mountain States Conference
| startyear = 1955
| endyear = 1962
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1955–56
| name = Montana
| overall = 14–12
| conference = 4–10
| confstanding = 8th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1956–57
| name = Montana
| overall = 13–9
| conference = 9–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1957–58
| name = Montana
| overall = 12–10
| conference = 8–6
| confstanding = T–5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1958–59
| name = Montana
| overall = 10–14
| conference = 7–7
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1959–60
| name = Montana
| overall = 7–17
| conference = 3–11
| confstanding = T–6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1960–61
| name = Montana
| overall = 14–9
| conference = 7–7
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1961–62
| name = Montana
| overall = 10–14
| conference = 5–9
| confstanding = T–4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Montana
| overall = 80–85 ({{Winning percentage|80|85}})
| confrecord = 43–55 ({{Winning percentage|43|55}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = 227–174 ({{Winning percentage|227|174}})
}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Montana Grizzlies basketball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Frosty}}
Category:All-American college men's basketball players
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from Montana
Category:Basketball players from Montana
Category:Colorado Buffaloes football coaches
Category:Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball coaches
Category:Kansas Jayhawks football coaches
Category:Kansas Jayhawks football players
Category:Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball coaches
Category:Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players
Category:Montana Grizzlies basketball coaches
Category:People from Clay County, Kansas