Sam Aubrey
{{short description|American basketball player and coach}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Sam Aubrey
| image = Sam_Aubrey.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Aubrey from the 1971 Redskin
| current_title =
| current_team =
| current_conference =
| current_record =
| contract =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|06|15}}
| birth_place = Sapulpa, Oklahoma, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|05|05|1922|06|15}}
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1940–1942, 1946
| player_team1 = Oklahoma A&M
| coach_years1 = 1947–1949
| coach_team1 = Pryor HS
| coach_years2 = 1950–1954
| coach_team2 = Okmulgee Tech JC
| coach_years3 = 1954–1970
| coach_team3 = Oklahoma A&M/Oklahoma State (assistant)
| coach_years4 = 1970–1973
| coach_team4 = Oklahoma State
| overall_record = {{winpct|18|60|record=y}}
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Sam Aubrey (June 15, 1922 – May 5, 2008) was the head coach of the Oklahoma State University men's basketball team between 1970 and 1973. Aubrey was the starting forward for the 1946 NCAA men's basketball champions, Oklahoma A&M University under coach Henry Iba.{{cite news |author1=Bob Hurt |title=Nobody loves to coach more than Sam Aubrey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/453818838/ |work=The Daily Oklahoman |date=23 February 1973 |page=79}}{{cite news |author1=Bob Hersom |title=Hero in war, champ in hoops |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/454390331/ |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=The Daily Oklahoman |date=5 March 2000 |page=42}}{{cite news |author1=Jimmy Tramel |title=Ex-OSU coach, war hero dies |url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/ex-osu-coach-war-hero-dies/article_22fff15c-9d63-5d8a-bc07-f1f2adbc820c.html |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=Tulsa World |date=7 May 2008}}
Early years, playing career, and military service
Aubrey was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and attended Tulsa Central High School. He enrolled at Oklahoma A&M and was offered a partial scholarship by coach Iba. He won a letter as a sophomore for the 1941–42 Oklahoma A&M basketball team that won the Missouri Valley Conference championship. As a junior for the 1942–43 team, he again won a varsity letter as a guard.
Aubrey then enlisted in the Army and won a Silver Star for valor in combat during the Arno-Po campaign in Italy. He also received a Purple Heart after he was shot in the back in September 1944, with the bullet exiting near the front of his left hip. The wound resulted in extensive injuries, including destruction of the large muscle in his left hip, an inability to walk for two months, a cast from his waist down, and a lengthy hospitalization.
After the war, Aubrey returned to Oklahoma A&M and, despite his injuries, returned to the basketball team less than a year after being shot. He started every for the 1945–46 Oklahoma A&M Aggies men's basketball team that won the NCAA championship.{{cite news|title=Replacement for a Legend|newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman|date=February 14, 1971|author=Phil Frey|pages=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83838965/aubrey/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Coaching career
After graduating from Oklahoma A&M in 1946, Aubrey began coaching basketball. He began as the basketball coach at Pryor High School, compiling a 46-29 in three years in that post. He then coached for four years at Oklahoma Tech where he compiled a record of 67-52.
He returned to Oklahoma A&M as the freshman coach in 1953. In 10 seasons as freshman coach, he compiled a record of 62-18. He then became a full-time assistant coach in 1964.
After serving for 16 years as an assistant under Iba, Aubrey succeeded Iba as head coach in February 1970.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83822001/aubrey/ |title=Sam Aubrey Gets Nod to Succeed Iba |newspaper=Daily Oklahoman |date=February 8, 1970}} However, he resigned after winning only 18 games in three seasons, including only seven in Big Eight play.{{cite news |title=Aubrey resigns as 'poke coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/8641508/ |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=The Hutchinson News |date=22 February 1973}}{{cite news |author1=Berry Tramel |title=Aubrey recalled as tough, but fair Iba's chosen successor returned to Stillwater as a wounded war hero |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/3239988/aubrey-recalled-as-tough-but-fairbrspan-classhl2ibas-chosen-successor-returned-to-stillwater-as-a-wounded-war-herospan |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=The Oklahoman |date=7 May 2008}}{{cite news|title=Aubrey Calls It Quits As O-State Cage Coach|newspaper=Daily Oklahoman|date=February 22, 1973|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83823312/aubrey/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Oklahoma State Cowboys
| conference = Big Eight Conference
| startyear = 1970
| endyear = 1973
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1970–71
| name = Oklahoma State
| overall = 7–19
| conference = 2–12
| confstanding = T–7th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1971–72
| name = Oklahoma State
| overall = 4–22
| conference = 2–12
| confstanding = 8th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1972–73
| name = Oklahoma State
| overall = 7–19
| conference = 3–11
| confstanding = 8th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Oklahoma State
| overall = {{Winning percentage|18|60|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{Winning percentage|7|35|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = {{Winning percentage|18|60|record=y}}
| poll =
| polltype =
| polltype2 =
}}
Death
Aubrey died in May 2008 at a retirement center in Stillwater.{{cite news |title=Former Oklahoma State coach, player Aubrey dies at 85 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=3384163 |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=ESPN |date=6 May 2008}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83821432/aubrey/ |title=Aubrey recalled as tough, but fair |newspaper=Daily Oklahoman |date=May 7, 2008}} ([https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83821517/aubrey/ part 2])
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball coach navbox}}
{{1946 Oklahoma A&M Aggies men's basketball navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aubrey, Sam}}
Category:Basketball coaches from Oklahoma
Category:Forwards (basketball)
Category:High school basketball coaches in Oklahoma
Category:Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States
Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball players