Kenneth Carlyle "Gerry" Gerard (July 14, 1903 – January 17, 1951) was an American basketball and soccer coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Duke University from 1943 to 1950, compiling a record of 131–78. Gerard first arrived at Duke to serve as the director of intramural sports in 1931. He helped form the Duke Blue Devils men's soccer program in 1935, coaching the team for 11 seasons.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 14, 1903 Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 1951 (aged 47) Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| c. 1925 | Illinois |
| Basketball | |
| c. 1925 | Illinois |
| Track and field | |
| c. 1925 | Illinois |
| Position(s) | End, quarterback (football) Javelin (track and field) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1928 | Athen HS (PA) |
| Basketball | |
| 1941–1943 | Duke (assistant) |
| 1943–1950 | Duke |
| Soccer | |
| 1935–1948 | Duke |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 131–78 (basketball) 41–27–10 (soccer) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Basketball 1 SoCon regular season (1943) 2 SoCon tournament (1944, 1946) | |
| Awards | |
| Basketball 2× SoCon Coach of the Year (1944, 1946) | |
A native of Mishawaka, Indiana, Gerard attended the University of Illinois, where played basketball and football as an end and quarterback. He also threw the javelin on Illinois track team.[1] He graduated from Illinois in June 1928 with a Bachelor of Science degree and began his career that fall as a teacher and head football coach at the high school in Athens, Pennsylvania.[2][3]
Gerard joined the Duke basketball coaching staff in 1941, acting as an assistant coach under Eddie Cameron for two seasons, prior to being named head coach in 1943. He coached Duke for eight seasons (1943–1950), winning the Southern Conference tournament and Coach of the Year honors in 1944 and 1946.
Gerard's health began to decline in 1949 and he took a leave of absence in November 1950.[4] He died on January 17, 1951, at Duke University Hospital, in Durham, North Carolina after a serious injury lasting several months.[5][6]
Head coaching record
editBasketball
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Blue Devils (Southern Conference) (1942–1950) | |||||||||
| 1942–43 | Duke | 20–6 | 12–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1943–44 | Duke | 13–13 | 4–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1944–45 | Duke | 13–9 | 6–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1945–46 | Duke | 21–6 | 12–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1946–47 | Duke | 19–8 | 10–4 | 3rd | |||||
| 1947–48 | Duke | 17–12 | 8–6 | 7th | |||||
| 1948–49 | Duke | 13–9 | 5–7 | 10th | |||||
| 1949–50 | Duke | 15–15 | 9–7 | 8th | |||||
| Duke: | 131–78 | 66–30 | |||||||
| Total: | 131–78 | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Gerry Gerard Dies At Age 47". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. January 17, 1951. p. 16, section 2. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Athens Secures Gridiron Star For High Coach". Elmira Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. August 27, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Kenneth Gerard Is Coach At Duke U." The Evening Times. Sayre, Pennsylvania. May 21, 1931. p. 3. Retrieved August 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Roth, John (2006). The Encyclopedia of Duke Basketball. Duke University Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-822-33904-5.
- ^ "Funeral Rites Set Today Art 2:30 For Gerry Gerard". The Herald-Sun. Durham, North Carolina. January 18, 1951. p. 1, section 1. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Funeral For Gerard Today (continued)". The Herald-Sun. Durham, North Carolina. January 18, 1951. p. 2, section 2. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
External links
edit- Gerry Gerard at Sports-Reference.com
- K.C. "Gerry" Gerard at goduke.com
- Gerry Gerard at Find a Grave