John McLendon
Inducted:
2016
Player Stats:
Born:
April 5, 1915
Hiawatha, Kansas, U.S.
Died:
October 8, 1999
Cleveland Heights, Ohio, U.S.
Position:
Coach
College:
NA
John McLendon broke barriers and built legacies as a pioneering coach whose influence reached far beyond the court. The first African American head coach in any professional sport, McLendon brought innovation, integrity, and leadership to every program he touched. Known for fast-paced, full-court pressure basketball, he revolutionized the game’s tempo.
McLendon won three consecutive NAIA championships with Tennessee State and later coached professionally with the Cleveland Pipers in the ABL. Though his NBA coaching tenure was brief, his long-term impact on coaching philosophy, integration, and athlete development remains unmatched. He also served as the first Black coach to lead a predominantly white university program.
His career symbolized both excellence and change, earning him multiple Hall of Fame inductions for both his coaching and lifetime contributions to basketball.
McLendon's Awards & Records:
- 3× NAIA Champion (1957–1959)
- 8× CIAA (1941, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1952)
- 2× CIAA conference (1946, 1950)
- Theodore Roosevelt Award (2021)
- Innovator of full-court pressure defense and up-tempo offense
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumous, 2016)
Notable Achievement:
- First African American coach in professional sports
- First African American head coach at a predominantly white university
- First coach inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame twice
NBA Teams :
North Carolina College (1941–1952)
Hampton (1953–1954)
Tennessee A&I (1955–1959)
Cleveland Pipers (1959–1962)
Kentucky State (1964–1966)
Cleveland State (1966–1969)
Denver Rockets (1969)
Career Stats:
College Coaching Record:
522–165
NAIA National Championships:
3 (1957–1959)