Dick Harp

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Dick HarpBiographical details

Born| March 28, 1918
Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
Died| March 18, 2000 (aged 81)
Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Alma mater| University of Kansas
Playing career
1937-1940| Kansas
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1946-1948| William Jewell
1949-1956| Kansas (Assistant)
1956-1964| Kansas
1986–1989| North Carolina (Assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall| 121-107 (.570)
Tournaments| 4-2 (NCAA Division I)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships

* NCAA Regional – Final Four (1957)
* Big 7 regular season (1957)
* Big 8 regular season (1960)

Awards

* Big Eight Coach of the Year (1960)

Richard F. Harp (March 28, 1918 – March 18, 2000) was an American college basketball coach who spent the majority of his career at the University of Kansas. He became the Kansas Jayhawks' fourth men's basketball coach in 1956. He coached for eight years until his resignation in 1964.[1] Harp's overall Kansas record was 121–82 (.596) and conference record was 63–45 (.583).

Harp played high school basketball at Rosedale High School before being recruited by Phog Allen to play for Kansas. After gaining a wealth of knowledge as a player and assistant under Allen, Harp became the Jayhawks' head coach himself from 1956 to 1964. Harp compiled a 121–82 record in those eight seasons and led the Jayhawks to two conference titles (one Big Seven, one Big Eight Conference) and two NCAA tournament berths. In 1957, the Jayhawks captured the Midwest Regional and made it to the finals, only to be stopped by the University of North Carolina in a memorable 54–53 loss in triple overtime in Kansas City, Mo. Under his guidance, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Bridges achieved All-American status. Chamberlain's relationship with Harp, however, was notably poor, fueled by resentment and disappointment: Chamberlain's biographer, Robert Cherry, has speculated that Chamberlain would not have chosen to attend Kansas if he had known that Harp's predecessor, Phog Allen, was going to retire in 1956.[2][3]

Harp had served as Phog Allen's assistant for eight seasons before taking over for Allen in 1956. Prior to that Harp was head coach for two seasons at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. Harp played basketball at KU, lettering from 1938 to 1940 and was one of the starting guards on the 1940 team that lost to Indiana University in the NCAA finals. Harp served as master sergeant in the US Army for four years during World War II.[4] Harp served as the director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for 13 years after leaving the Jayhawks.[5] Harp is one of only five people to have played and coached in an NCAA title game. He served as an assistant coach from 1986 to 1989 at North Carolina for Dean Smith – whom he coached as a player at Kansas when he was Allen's assistant.

Coach Harp lived in Lawrence, Kansas, until his death in March 2000. Harp's health had been failing for several years and he had recently fractured a hip. He died at his residence at Lawrence's Presbyterian Manor. He was survived by his wife of 56 years, Martha Sue (d. 2009), and a son, Richard Layne Harp, of Las Vegas.

## Head coaching record

[edit]

Statistics overview  Season  | Team  | Overall  | Conference  | Standing  | Postseason

|
|
|
|
|

William Jewell Cardinals (Missouri College Athletic Union) (1946–1948)
1946–47 | William Jewell College  | 11–10 |  |  |
1947–48 | William Jewell College  | 10–15 |  |  |
William Jewell College: | 21–25 (.457) |  |
Kansas Jayhawks (Big Seven/Big Eight Conference) (1956–1964)
1956–57 | Kansas | 24–3 | 11–1 | 1st | NCAA University Division Runner-up
1957–58 | Kansas | 18–5 | 8–4 | T-2nd |
1958–59 | Kansas | 11–14 | 8–6 | T-3rd |
1959–60 | Kansas | 19–9 | 10–4 | T-1st | NCAA University Division Elite Eight
1960–61 | Kansas | 17–8 | 10–4 | 2nd |
1961–62 | Kansas | 7–18 | 3–11 | T-7th |
1962–63 | Kansas | 12–13 | 5–9 | T-6th |
1963–64 | Kansas | 13–12 | 8–6 | 3rd |
Kansas: | 121–82 (.596) | 63–45 (.583) |
Total: | 142–107 (.570) |

National champion         Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion

[6]

## See also

[edit]

* List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Coaches Database. "Ted Owens (born July 16, 1929)." Accessed June 26, 2019.
2. ^ Wilt: Larger Than Life, Robert Cherry, Triumph Books (Chicago, 2004), 47.
3. ^ Goudsouzian, Aram (Autumn 2005). ""Can Basketball Survive Chamberlain?"" (PDF). Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains. 28: 158–163. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
4. ^ "Dick Harp (1918-2000)". Coaches Database.Accessed October 14, 2022.
5. ^ Taylor, Kim. "Dick Harp". Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champion. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
6. ^ "Dick Harp". Sports Reference. Retrieved October 14, 2022.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Rock Chalk Zone
* UNC athletic department Archived January 31, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

* v
* t
* e

Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball head coaches

* James Naismith (1898–1907)
* Phog Allen (1907–1909)
* W. O. Hamilton (1909–1919)
* Karl Schlademan # (1919)
* Phog Allen (1919–1947)
* Howard Engleman # (1947)
* Phog Allen (1947–1956)
* Dick Harp (1956–1964)
* Ted Owens (1964–1983)
* Larry Brown (1983–1988)
* Roy Williams (1988–2003)
* Bill Self (2003– )

# denotes interim head coach

* v
* t
* e

Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball 1951–52 NCAA champions

* 5 Charlie Hoag
* 9 Bob Kenney
* 6 LaVannes Squires
* 11 Bill Lienhard
* 14 Allen Kelley
* 16 Clyde Lovellette (MOP)
* 17 Bill Hougland
* 20 John Keller
* 22 Dean Smith
* 24 Dean Kelley
* 25 B. H. Born

Head coach
Phog Allen

Assistant coach
Dick Harp
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template