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Branch McCracken
Branch McCracken (June 9, 1908 – June 4, 1970) was the coach of the IU Men's Basketball team from 1938-1943, and again from 1946-1965. (The gap in tenure is because he took a leave of absence in spring of 1943 to serve in World War II.)
Before he was a coach, McCracken attended Indiana University from 1926-1930 and played basketball for then-coach Everett Dean. He led IU in scoring for three years straight.
After graduation, he briefly played professional basketball for the ABL, then coached at Ball State before moving to IU. While at IU, he led the team to two national championships, in 1940 and 1953. His overall record at IU was 364-174 (.677), second only to Bobby Knight's. The court at Assembly Hall has been named for him.
He is a charter member of the Monroe County Hall of Fame on which his plaque reads "Indiana University Basketball Head Coach, 1938-1965; Big Ten Championship, 1953, 1954, 1958, Co-Championship, 1957; NCAA Championship, 1940, 1953; Coach of The Year, 1940, 1953; National Basketball Hall of Fame."
Archie Miller • Tom Crean • Dan Dakich • Kelvin Sampson • Mike Davis • Bobby Knight • Jerry Oliver • Lou Watson • Harry C. Good • Branch McCracken • Everett Dean • Leslie Mann • George W. Lewis • Ewald O. Stiehm • Dana M. Evans • Guy S. Lowman • Allan Willisford • Arthur Berndt • Arthur Powell • James Kase • Oscar Rakle • John Georgen • Robert Harris • Ed Cook • James Sheldon • Zora G. Clevenger • Willis Coval • Phelps Darby • J.H. Horne
