Jim Killingsworth

Jim Killingsworth
Killingsworth c. 1972
Biographical details
Born(1923-06-19)June 19, 1923
Checotah, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 2007(2007-06-10) (aged 83)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Playing career
194x–1948Northeastern State
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1961–1964Tulsa (freshmen)
1964–1971Cerritos College
1971–1977Idaho State
1977–1979Oklahoma State
1979–1987TCU
Head coaching record
Overall261–191 (college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 Big Sky regular season (1974, 1976, 1977)
Big Sky tournament (1977)
2 SWC regular season (1986, 1987)
Awards
2× Big Sky Coach of the Year (1974, 1977)

James Austin Killingsworth (June 19, 1923 – June 10, 2007) was an American college basketball coach. He was best known for his tenures at Idaho State University and Texas Christian University (TCU).

Born in Checotah, Oklahoma, Killingsworth played college basketball at Northeastern State College in Tahlequah and began his coaching career in 1948 at the high school level in Oklahoma. After many years of success, he left for the college ranks to coach the freshman team at Tulsa, then took a head coaching job at Cerritos College in southern California in 1964. In seven seasons at Cerritos, Killingsworth compiled a 157–46 record and led the Falcons to the 1968 California junior college championship.

In March 1971, he was hired as head coach at Idaho State in the Big Sky Conference, succeeding Dan Miller.[1][2] In his six seasons in Pocatello, Killingsworth led the Bengals to a 109–54 (.669) record, including three Big Sky regular-season titles and the second tournament title in 1977. The 1976–77 season was his last at ISU and was capped off by a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, following a one-point upset of UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen in Provo, Utah, behind the play of seven-foot (2.13 m) center Steve Hayes.[3][4][5][6] The Bengals led by a point at the half against UNLV, but lost by seventeen and ended the year at 25–5.[7][8][9]

Following his successful run at Idaho State, Killingsworth was hired as head coach at Oklahoma State after Kansas State's Jack Hartman took the job and resigned two days later.[10][11] After two losing seasons, the first in his career at any level, he left the Cowboys to take the head coaching job at TCU in the Southwest Conference (SWC).[12][13] Nicknamed "Killer" during his time at Fort Worth, Killingsworth raised the profile of a school that had experienced limited basketball success in recent seasons. In eight seasons, he led his team to a 130–106 record, and in 1986–87, he led the team to a 24–7 record, an SWC title, and the team's first NCAA tournament appearance in 16 years.[14] Following that season, Killingsworth retired after 38 years of coaching.[15]

Killingsworth died in Tulsa in 2007 at age 83.[16]

  1. ^ "ISU selects hoops coach". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 25, 1971. p. 23.
  2. ^ "Idaho St. hires Jim Killingsworth". Long Beach Independent. March 25, 1971. p. 49. Retrieved January 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Benson, Lee (March 18, 1977). "Utes fall short, Idaho State stuns UCLA". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. 6B.
  4. ^ "ISU has greatest win". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 18, 1977. p. 21.
  5. ^ "UCLA becomes the obscure one". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. March 18, 1977. p. 1B.
  6. ^ Pucin, Diane (December 15, 2007). "The day the Bruins finally got floored". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  7. ^ Benson, Lee (March 19, 1977). "Vegas-ISU victor to join NCAA Final 4". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. 6A.
  8. ^ "Vegas-Idaho State: 'My turn,' says Tark". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. March 19, 1977. p. 2B.
  9. ^ "Tark's ploy sends Rebels past Bengals". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. March 20, 1977. p. 1B.
  10. ^ "Cowboys hire Jim Killingsworth". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 31, 1977. p. 41.
  11. ^ "Killingsworth leaving ISU". Standard-Examiner. March 31, 1977. p. 33. Retrieved January 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ "Killingsworth headed for TCU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 12, 1979. p. 2B.
  13. ^ "Killingsworth calls it quits". Garden City Telegram. March 12, 1979. p. 11. Retrieved January 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. ^ "TCU mourns loss of coaching great Jim Killingsworth". TCU Horned Frogs. June 10, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  15. ^ "T.C.U. coach retires". New York Times. March 18, 1987. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  16. ^ "James Austin "Jim" Killingsworth Obituary". Idaho State Journal. June 12, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2017.