Legendary Coach Blakeley Passes Away
Courtesy: University of North Texas
Release: 10/27/2010


Courtesy: University of North Texas

DENTON, Texas - Legendary North Texas basketball coach Bill Blakeley died on Wednesday morning after a lengthy battle with illness.

Blakeley, 76, spent eight seasons leading the Mean Green from 1976-83, posting three straight 20-win seasons to start his tenure. Originally from Wills Point, Texas, Blakeley still ranks third in North Texas history with 134 career wins.

"He was truly a pioneer at North Texas because he showed that you could have sucess here," said North Texas head coach Johnny Jones. "His willingness to share his experiences helped in my transition to North Texas. I have fond memories of him, and he will be sorely missed."

In his first year at the helm, Blakeley turned an NT squad that had won just six games the previous year into a 22-4 team with wins over Baylor, Creighton, Southern Illinois, Arizona State, SMU, Virginia Commonwealth and Bradley. He received Coach of the Year honors from both the Texas Association of Basketball Writers and the Texas Sportswriters Association for his work that season.

Blakeley reached 100 wins faster than any other coach (six seasons), and has the fourth-best win percentage in the 92 year history of North Texas basketball (.612).

"Coach Blakeley was one of the most exciting and flamboyant coaches in the business," said North Texas Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal. "In talking with some of his players, Bill was a tough task master, but one that they enjoyed the entire time. This is certainly a tough day for the North Texas family, and we keep his family in our thoughts."

Blakeley is also known for developing very talented players, and even grooming future champion coaches. Three of the top 10 scorers in school history, including No. 1 Kenneth Lyons, played under Blakeley. Ken Williams, the program's top rebounder, played for the legendary coach, as did three other members of the school's top 10 rebound list.

A longtime Blakeley assistant coach, Jimmy Gales went on to lead North Texas to its first NCAA Tournament in 1988 after serving under Blakeley for nine seasons. Billy Tubbs was also an assistant under Blakeley before taking the head coaching job at Lamar.

Heralded long before to coming to North Texas, Blakeley coached the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and posted a 25-36 record for the 1970-71 season.

After leaving North Texas, Blakeley started Talent Sports International, a sports agency, and went on to represent numerous NBA players.

Green Gang: Blakeley's Legend Will Live On
Courtesy: University of North Texas
Release: 10/27/2010

By Steven Bartolotta, October 27, 2010, 3:36 p.m.

I've have quite a collection of different pictures, souvenirs, bobbleheads, and other random stuff surrounding me in my office. My favorite picture always gets the biggest reaction to someone who sees it for the first time.

It's a picture of a guy holding his nose as he storms away from an official as he emphatically tells him what he thought of a call. Most of the time the first reaction is, "that's a fake right." That picture is of Bill Blakeley. It's one of many images and memories he provided so many fans of North Texas basketball.

I had only met Coach Blakeley once. It was a few years ago at a Hall of Fame breakfast, but the stories I heard about him were legendary.

I never saw his teams play once, but from reading and hearing about his style, he was my kinda coach.

A mad scientist and basketball genius sitting on the bench. A risk-taker, a man never afraid to speak his mind or his heart. His teams played hard and played fast. According to a Sports Illustrated story, he declared that there was no player on his 1976 team that couldn't dunk.

His flair for the moment was legendary. Be it from his outlandish suits all the way down to his courtside messages scribbled out on some cloth that read "Don't expect miracles."

But despite his antics that might make you think he should have been a character in the Dukes of Hazzard, Blakeley was a coach, and a darn good one.

His teams won 20-games three straight years in the 70's. He took North Texas to new heights when they received the school's only national ranking in 1976. He recruited and coached to this day some of the best players ever to pay at North Texas.

Kenneth Lyons, Fred Mitchell, Melvin Davis, and Jon Manning. There are so many others. The only thing missing from Coach Blakeley's resume was an NCAA Tournament bid.

And unfortunately he was a prisoner of his own school's doing. When North Texas left the Missouri Valley, all of its teams were without homes. Football and men's basketball paid the price the hardest. Football was experiencing unprecedented success, but never got that elusive Bowl Berth. Same went for men's hoops.

Blakeley's teams were widely respected, but as an indy, getting an NCAA bid is as just as hard today as it was back then. Next to impossible.

Despite never going to the NCAA Tournament, his teams to this day considered some of the best in school history.

His mark on the program lives on today. One of his top assistant coaches was Jimmy Gales, who at long last got North Texas that NCAA Tournament bid in 1988.

Johnny Jones and Coach Blakeley were great friends. Everyone associated with North Texas men's basketball at some point in time, knows of, has heard of, or has seen a picture of Coach Blakeley.

A great legend has passed on, but his shadow on the North Texas basketball program will last forever