Kansas basketball: Ranking the top coaches in program history
No. 5: Ted Owens (1964–1983)
Ted Owens joined the Kansas coaching staff in 1960 as an assistant under Dick Harp and was promoted after Harp resigned. While he was the only Kansas basketball head coach to be fired, Owens found success during his 19 years in Lawrence. Here are some of his stats:
- 348–182 record
- 2 Final Fours
- 6 Big Eight titles
- 5-time Big Eight Coach of the Year
- 1978 Coach of the Year (Basketball Weekly)
In Owens’ second season as head coach, the Jayhawks made it to the Elite Eight and faced the Texas Western Miners. The game went into double-overtime and ended with a controversial finish. All-American Jo Jo White knocked down a deep shot as time expired, giving Kansas the win until the official ruled that White had stepped out of bounds prior to the shot.
Texas Western would go on to win the national championship that season and be immortalized in the movie Glory Road.
Five years later, Owens’ 1970-71 squad would make the Final Four, but once again be sent home on a controversial call. All-American Dave Robisch knocked down a shot with time running out to give the Jayhawks a late-game lead. An official ruled that Robisch traveled before took the shot, nullifying the points. John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins would beat the Jayhawks in the Final Four and then go on to win the national title.
Owens’ final two teams finished with a combined 26-30 record and he was fired after the 1982-83 season. 1983 is still the most recent season that Kansas has finished under .500. Owens would coach again at Oral Roberts and overseas at Maccabi Tel Aviv; however, he never duplicated the success that he had at Kansas.