Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Gene Bartow, who served as Valparaiso’s head men’s basketball coach from 1964-1970, was one of six inductees in the Class of 2009 into the National Collegiate Basketball of Fame in a ceremony held this past Sunday in Kansas City, Mo.

Bartow, who also spent time coaching at Central Missouri State, Memphis, Illinois, UCLA and UAB, won 93 games over his six seasons at the helm of the Crusaders and is the third-winningest coach in Valpo history.  During his tenure, Bartow took Valpo to three NCAA Tournaments, highlighted by an appearance in the national quarterfinal in 1967.  He was previously inducted into the Valparaiso University Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1998.

Bartow closed his coaching career with 647 total victories over 34 seasons as a head coach and ranks among the top-25 winningest NCAA Division I head coaches of all-time.  Bartow was joined by fellow coach Jud Heathcote, as well as Travis Grant and Wayman Tisdale (players) and Walter Byers and Bill Wall (contributors) as inductees to the Hall of Fame in this year’s class.  In addition, Larry Bird and Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, who were both inducted as part of the inaugural class in 2006, were both honored at this year’s ceremony.