Clair Francis Bee (March 2, 1896 – May 20, 1983) was an American basketball coach who led the team at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York to two undefeated seasons in 1936 and 1939 as well as two National Invitation Tournament titles (1939, 1941). He was born in Grafton, West Virginia.
Bee's teams won 95 percent of their games from 1931 to 1951, including 43 in a row from 1935 to 1937.[1]
Clair Bee also coached the football team at LIU until it was disbanded in 1940.[2]
Bee coached the National Basketball Association's Baltimore Bullets from 1952 to 1954, amassing a 34-116 record under his tenure.
His contributions to the game of basketball include the 1-3-1 zone defense, the three-second rule and the 24-second shot clock in the NBA.
Bee also authored a series of sports manuals and the fictional Chip Hilton series of books for children.
Bee was inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 1968. The Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award is awarded every year to a coach who makes an outstanding contribution to the game of college basketball, and the Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award is awarded to a men's basketball player.
In 1968, he cofounded the Kutsher's Sports Academy.[3]
Clair Bee's grandfather was Ephraim Bee, a member of the First West Virginia Legislature.
He holds the Division I NCAA record for highest winning percentage winning over 82% of the games he was head coach. [4]
References
- ^ LIU streaks
- ^ Long Island University Blackbirds All-Time Football Records
- ^ Basketball Hall of Fame bio
- ^ [1]
External links
Preceded by Chick Reiser |
Baltimore Bullets Head Coach 1952–1954 |
Succeeded by none |
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