Since discussion has died down, here’s something I’ve thought about for a while. Lewis obviously had coaching skills; he had the good fortune of recruiting some players that were not widely recruited but turned into superstars, but every one of those super-talented teams made the final four, and that’s not something every coach could do. So he was clearly very good at bringing out the best in the new breed of Black players, as we see in the 20 for 20 on PSJ. But he must also have been very good at basic basketball, because the year I got to UH, 1964, he took a team to the dance that took some serious coaching. That was a seriously undersized team–5-11 and 6-1 at guard (Hamood and Margenthaler), 6-4 or 6-5 at forward (Ozug and Apolskis), 6-4 at the wing (Wayne Ballard, our sharpshooter) and 6-6 at center (Larry “Tree” Lentz), and they were headed nowhere at midseason. The fell to, musta been 8-8 with a 110-80 thumping at home (I was there)from a Notre Dame team that went 6-10, 6-8, 6-6 across the front line and just destroyed us around the basket. It looked like it was all over. Then they reeled off ten straight wins and made the dance (when only 32 were in), then met Notre Dame in what was in those days called the “pre-regional,” and this time they beat them. One of the most satisfying coug wins of my life. Can’t remember the score. All of this is from memory, so there could be some slippage. Anyway, that convinces me more than all his final fours that Guy V. could coach. Anybody got any insights?
How good a coach was Guy V? Well… hall of fame worthy.
Guy had so many obstacles going against him and the program.
What he did was simply amazing and he should have been in the Hall immediately after he retired.
I love Coach Sampson but he is a step behind Lewis in my mind. Now a national title could definitely sway my vote, but I just don’t see that happening.
The only other coaches at UH who were good coaches IMO was more than decent and possibly could have led us to the promise land was Pat Foster but he left on his own and went to Nevada.
Penders was a decent coach and actually got us to the playoffs, which was monumental at the time.
Then came along Coach Samps, and poof we are a national power again!
I think Samps will get you your natty before he’s done…
Hopefully before I’m done lol
One of the important measures I use in evaluating a coach is how well that coach does at developing players. GuyV was super at it and very much under rated. The progress with Akeem was amazing. Drexler another great example and of course Big E.
Coach Samps is also exemplary at developing talent.
I think Guy Lewis was a great coach on so many levels.
- Recruited black players in the South when a lot of teams were still segregated.
- Between the 1960s to mid-1980s, had success in the NCAA Tournament.
- Helped college basketball go national, coaching UH against UCLA in the Astrodome.
- UH’s basketball success helped UH be invited to the SWC. SWC schools realized how far ahead UH was in its basketball program, and imposed a 5 year waiting period before UH could compete in the conference in basketball (and football). UH’s basketball program under Guy Lewis raised the level of college basketball in the State of Texas.
- Coached athletic talent on basketball skills. One of the knocks on Texas basketball in the 1960s and 1970s was that the high school players were great athletes, but did not receive fundamental basketball training, because the focus was primarily on football. Basketball was something athletes played in the off-season. College coaches like Guy, were at a disadvantage playing teams from basketball-rich states. Guy did an amazing job bringing his players up to a national level.
Nary a losing season from 1959-60 through his retirement after the 1985-86 season, a streak of 27 years.
“UH’s basketball success helped UH be invited to the SWC. SWC schools realized how far ahead UH was in its basketball program, and imposed a 5 year waiting period before UH could compete in the conference in basketball (and football). UH’s basketball program under Guy Lewis raised the level of college basketball in the State of Texas.”
And as I lived in Austin at the time, I was a front row witness to the intentional words of Penders to denigrate UH at every opportunity. All you Penders lovers here.
All I can say about Penders is he must have undergone a religious conversation or deep psychotherapy, because when Penders was head coach at UH, he was the biggest Guy Lewis fan and was head cheerleader for putting Lewis in the College Basketball HOF. Penders was good for UH.
Texas gave UH Penders and UH gave Texas Herman.
Advantage UH.
Penders truly did more with less and was/is a great cheerleader for UH.
Back in the GVL era, Eddie Sutton was at Arkansas. Every year he would recruit blue chip highly coveted players out of high school and the Chronicle and Post would give his recruiting class a A or A+, while Guy’s recruits would get a B or C grade. One article in the Chronicle said that recruiting Clyde Drexler was another indication Guy had lost connection with today’s kids and that it was obvious that Drexler was not a division 1 player and a waste of a scholarship.
After we had gone though the season and gone to the NCAA playoffs, a TV talking head said that if Sutton had the talent that UH had, Sutton would win the championship. Funny how our mediocre recruits turned into top level talents by the end of the season, when, “Lewis just rolls the ball out at practice,” as was reported. That just shows you how great a coach Guy V was. He will always be at the top of my list. He is the man that made UH a nationally relevant basketball power and laid the foundation for our program. From being the captain of our first basketball team, to a Hall of Fame coach, he deserves a statue.
Penders was good for UH during that era but I couldn’t stand that weave system that he used.
He had been exiled to UH, and at that point in time when he came to Cullen we were as low as we had ever been. He was expelled from UT for “alleged” activities. He exalted a liquid diet at GW. He had no choice but to sing the praises of UH.
Very little to comment about GVL that hasn’t already been said.
One thing I’ll add….his UH coaching career was transformational.
He put UH basketball on the map.
Just makes me mad… we shoulda beaten Florida. 
I remember a story about UCLA and John Wooden bringing his team in to play us around 1964. I think they played us at either Jeppesen or Delmar. Guy introduced Wooden to his zone trap defense. As the story goes…we kicked their butts. After that game, Wooden incorporated that defense into what he did at UCLA. Guy’s zone traps were a thing of beauty. Maybe someone a little older than me can offer more details about the encounter.
Research is a wonderful thing…
What actually happened
The first documented UCLA–Houston game in Houston occurred on:
- Date: December 2, 1966
- Location: Hofheinz Pavilion, University of Houston campus
- Coaches:
- UCLA — John Wooden
- Houston — Guy V. Lewis
- Result: Houston upset UCLA 71–69
- Significance: This was the first-ever game played in Hofheinz Pavilion, which had just opened.
This is the earliest confirmed instance of Wooden bringing UCLA to Houston.
What did not happen
Based on the full 1963–64 and 1964–65 UCLA schedules:
- UCLA did NOT play Houston in 1963–64 (No Houston game appears anywhere in the schedule.)
- UCLA did NOT play Houston in 1964–65 (Again, no Houston game listed.)
- No UCLA games were played at Jeppesen Stadium or Delmar Fieldhouse
The event you’re recalling did happen, but the correct year and venue were:
- Year: 1966
- Venue: Hofheinz Pavilion
- Opponent: University of Houston
- Coach: John Wooden
- Outcome: Houston 71, UCLA 69
Research is good. Especially if it is correct.
Hofheinz did not exist in 1966.
The 71-69 game was 01/20/1968. At The Astrodome.
That was the score in the Astrodome in the game of the century in 1968. you sure? I started watching UH in 1965 Big E and Chaney’s Soph years. I would have remembered a 1966 encounter…I think??? LOL