 Friel in the 1950 "Chinook" | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 26, 1898 Waterville, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | December 12, 1995 (aged 97) Pullman, Washington, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1920–1923 | Washington State |
| Position(s) | Forward |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1923–1925 | Colville HS |
| 1925–1928 | North Central HS |
| 1928–1958 | Washington State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1963–1971 | Big Sky (commissioner) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 495–377 (.568) – (college) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Pacific Coast (1941) | |
Jack Friel | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  U.S. Army |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
John Bryan Friel (August 26, 1898[1] – December 12, 1995) was an American college basketball coach, the head coach of the Washington State Cougars for 30 seasons, from 1928 to 1958.[2] He holds the school record for victories by a men's basketball coach with 495, and led Washington State to the NCAA tournament championship game in 1941.[3] He was later the first commissioner of the Big Sky Conference.
Friel played college basketball at Washington State before becoming a high school coach. In 1928, he was named the head coach of Washington State. His teams won one Pacific Coast Conference championship and three divisional titles. Friel officiated college football games and was head coach of the Cougars baseball team from 1943 to 1945.
- ^ "Men's Basketball Coaches Career" (Search for Jack Friel under Player/Coach Search). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ^ Solomon, Lynn (December 14, 1995). "A Coug inspiration". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 1B. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ "Four Fathers of Cougar Basketball: Jack Friel". Washington State University. January 18, 2006. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2020.