Ray Meyer Hall of Fame NBA

Ray Meyer was a Chicago institution and one of the most beloved figures in college basketball history. While he famously turned down multiple offers to coach in the NBA because he "hated change," his impact on the professional game was foundational.

Coaching at DePaul University for 42 seasons (1942–1984), Meyer is credited with developing George Mikan, basketball's first dominant "big man," into a superstar who would go on to define the early NBA. Meyer transformed DePaul from a local program into a national powerhouse, recording 724 wins and leading the Blue Demons to the 1945 NIT Championship (then the premier national title) and two NCAA Final Fours.

For his legendary consistency and his role in evolving the "big man" archetype, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.

Meyer's Awards & Records

• 2 NCAA Regional—Final Four (1943, 1979)
• NIT (1945)
• 2× AP Coach of the Year (1980, 1984)
• 2x Henry Iba Award (1978, 1980)
• NABC Coach of the Year (1979)
• 2× UPI Coach of the Year (1980, 1984)
• hn Bunn Award for Lifetime Achievement (1981)

NBA Teams

DePaul (1942–1984)