Hall of Fame
Doyle Parrack is the man responsible for beginning Oklahoma City University’s tradition in basketball.
Parrack built OCU’s basketball team from a non-scholarship club team without a gymnasium into NCAA Division I membership and a force in college basketball.
Parrack led OCU as basketball coach and athletic director. Parrack coached the Chiefs to a 137-71 record from 1947-55, All-College Tournament titles in 1950 and 1952 and four consecutive NCAA Tournaments in 1952-55.
Parrack started working for OCU without the benefit of a gym, assistant coach or a conference affiliation. OCU eventually hauled in a gym from Clinton Air Base. When Parrack led OCU to its first NCAA Tournament in 1952, Parrack became the first man to both play and coach in the NCAA Tournament.
Parrack was a member of Oklahoma A&M’s 1945 NCAA championship team coached by Henry Iba. Iba told Parrack that OCU was looking for a coach in 1947, one season after OCU revived the program following World War II.
"Mister Iba called me one day and said OCU wanted to have a big-time program,'' Parrack once told The Oklahoman. “I wanted to coach anyway, so I interviewed for the job and got it basically on Mister Iba's recommendation.”
Parrack coached both Abe Lemons and Paul Hansen, who followed Parrack as OCU basketball coach. Lemons – who went on to win 599 games as a head coach and lead OCU to seven NCAA Tournaments – also became an assistant coach for Parrack.
“He was the key that opened the door for Abe and Paul in basketball at OCU,” Iba said of Parrack. “I have been around basketball a little while, and there isn't anybody who has the knowledge of basketball like Doyle Parrack.”
Under Parrack, OCU was known to slow the tempo of the game down. One newspaper read, “The Chiefs’ style of playing will not be changed much this year, with the deliberate type of basketball prevailing. The club is not noted for fast breaks except on occasion.”
Parrack led OCU to third place in the 1953 NCAA Western Regional, defeating John Wooden’s UCLA team 55-53 led by Arnold Short, who topped all scorers with 22 points. Short became an all-American under Parrack in 1953 and ’54 and eventually became OCU athletic director.
In 2007, the university named the Meinders School of Business clock tower after Parrack. Parrack was inducted into the OCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.
“Coach Parrack was an OCU legend,” OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. “He became our head basketball coach when he was still only in his 20's and began a tradition of success. Two of our great coaches, Abe Lemons and Paul Hansen, played for coach Parrack.
“Most notably, to me, is the awe and appreciation that his former players hold for him to this day. I have talked to many of his former players, and to a man, they credit Coach Parrack for instilling in them a solid work ethic and perseverance that helped them achieve success well beyond their days on the court.”
Parrack went on to become basketball coach at Oklahoma. Parrack coached seven seasons for OU, leading the Sooners to a 15-10 record and second place in the Big Eight in 1958-59. Parrack was named conference coach of the year.
After his stint with OU, Parrack returned to Oklahoma State and served as assistant to Iba. He was later named to the OSU Athletics Hall of Honor and the OSU College of Education Hall of Fame. He later coached Israel’s national team in 1972 and the OU women from 1978-80.
From Cotton County, Okla., Parrack was named to The Oklahoman’s all-time 1930s team in high school basketball after playing at Union Valley School. He played college ball first at Connors State and later for Oklahoma State.
After college, Parrack coached at Shawnee High School. Parrack also played for the Chicago Stags and turned down an offer to play for the Minneapolis Lakers to coach OCU.
