David C. Gunther (July 22, 1937 – March 16, 2024) was an American basketball player and coach. He served as the head basketball coach at the University of North Dakota from 1970 to 1988. Gunther played college basketball at the University of Iowa and professional basketball with the San Francisco Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Gunther from 1958 Hawkeye | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | July 22, 1937 |
Died | March 16, 2024 | (aged 86)
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Le Mars (Le Mars, Iowa) |
College | Iowa (1956–1959) |
NBA draft | 1959: 8th round, 56th overall pick |
Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors | |
Position | Forward |
Number | 11 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1959–1960 | Cleveland Pipers |
1960 | Detroit Pistons |
1960–1961 | Williamsport Billies |
1961–1962 | San Francisco Saints |
1962 | San Francisco Warriors |
As coach: | |
1967–1970 | Wayne State (NE) |
1970–1988 | North Dakota |
1993–1995 | Buena Vista |
1996–2001 | Bemidji State |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Early years
editGunther was born in 1937 and attended Le Mars High School in Le Mars, Iowa.[1] He attended Le Mars High School and, as a senior, was selected as the first-team center on the 1955 All-Iowa basketball team.[2]
College career
editGunther enrolled at the University of Iowa and played for the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team at the forward position from 1956 to 1959. He scored 271 points (12.3 average) as a sophomore, 435 points (19.8 average) as a junior, and 482 points as a senior (21.9 average). He ranked 19th nationally in scoring during the 1958–59 season. He was selected as Iowa's most valuable player three consecutive years.[3] He closed his college career with 1,188 points, tying the Iowa career scoring record set by Bill Logan from 1954 to 1956.[3]
Professional basketball
editGunther was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the eighth round of the 1959 NBA draft but Gunther stated at the time that he was not interested in playing professional basketball.[4] In the fall of 1959, after completing a tour of military service with the U.S. Army, Gunther joined the Cleveland Pipers of the National Industrial Basketball League.[5]
In June 1960, the Detroit Pistons purchased rights to Gunther from the Philadelphia Warriors.[6] He played a portion of the season with the Pistons before being sold to the Williamsport Billies of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EBL).[7][8] He was selected as rookie of the year in the EBL.[7]
In May 1961, the San Francisco Saints of the American Basketball League outbid the Pistons to sign Gunther.[7][9] His season was cut short when he was called back into military service.[10][11]
In 1962, he concluded his professional basketball career with the San Francisco Warriors of the NBA.[1]
Coaching career
editAfter his playing career ended, Gunther worked as a basketball coach. He began his coaching career in 1963 as a head coach at Charles City High School in Charles City, Iowa.[12] He next served as head basketball coach at Kimball High School in Royal Oak, Michigan, from 1964 to 1967.[13]
In August 1967, he was hired as the head basketball coach at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska.[13] He served as head coach at Wayne State for three years, compiling a 70–12 record. He was selected as the Nebraska coach of the year in 1968 by the Lincoln Journal and in 1969 by the Omaha World Herald.[14]
In the spring of 1970, Gunther was hired as the head basketball coach at the University of North Dakota.[14] He continued to hold that position for 18 years until his retirement in March 1988.[15] He compiled a 332–117 record at North Dakota.[16]
In 1993, Gunther was hired as head basketball coach at Buena Vista in Storm Lake, Iowa.[16] He led Buena Vista to a 25–25 overall record in two seasons. In March 1995, he was named head basketball coach at Bemidji State University.[17] He retired in 2001 after six years at Bemidji.[18]
Death
editDave Gunther died on March 16, 2024, at the age of 86.[19]
Career statistics
editGP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
editSource[1]
Regular season
editYear | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962–63 | San Francisco | 1 | 5.0 | .500 | – | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Dave Gunther NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "1955 Boys' All-State Basketball Team". The Courier. March 25, 1955. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Gunther Iowa's MVP for Unprecedented 3rd Time". Iowa City Press-Citizen. March 17, 1959. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Warriors Draft Iowa's Gunther". The Gazette. March 31, 1959. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dave Gunther to Join Cleveland Team in NIBL". The Courier. December 14, 1959. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pistons Buy Dave Gunther". The Des Moines Register. June 28, 1960. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Dave Gunther Signs". The Bridgeport Post. May 5, 1961. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chiefs Battle Billies Sunday". The Bridgeport Post. December 16, 1960. p. 98 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Saints outbid Pistons to get Dave Gunther". Globe-Gazette. May 5, 1961. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Army-Bound Dave Gunther Leads Saints in ABL Win". The Berkshire Eagle. November 7, 1961. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Army Gets SF's Dave Gunther". The California. November 3, 1961. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dave Gunther Charles City's New Cage Boss". The Courier. April 9, 1963. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Dave Gunther Named Wayne State Mentor". Sioux City Journal. August 6, 1967. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Gunther Gets Coaching Job at UND". Sioux City Journal. April 1, 1970. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gunther stepping down as North Dakota coach". Argus-Leader. March 1, 1988. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Gunther returns to coach in Iowa". Iowa City Press-Citizen. May 7, 1993. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bemidji State lures Gunther away from BV". Sioux City Journal. March 10, 1995. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gunther retires after longtime coaching career". Sioux City Journal. March 7, 2001. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Miller, Tom (March 17, 2024). "Former UND men's basketball coach Dave Gunther dies at 86". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved March 18, 2024.