Dolph Stanley (January 23, 1905 – July 9, 1990) was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the ”Silver Fox”, Stanley is best known for holding the "unbreakable" record of guiding five different Illinois High School Association (IHSA) schools into the state tournament. He gained national prominence by coaching Beloit College to a 238–57 basketball record from 1945 to 1957 while guiding them to an NIT berth and a final AP Rank of No. 16 in 1951. 1951 AP Rankings Collectively, Stanley coached six high school teams as well as Beloit College, compiling 943 total victories (705 high school, 238 college). He finished his career in 1989 at Keith Country Day School in Rockford.Chicago Tribune July 11, 1990

Early years Stanley was born in Marion, Illinois, becoming a three-year letterman in basketball while attending Marion High School. Following high school, he attended Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois. In 1933 Stanley became the head coach of Equality High School in Equality, Illinois. In just one year of coaching, he took the Cardinals to a third-place finish in 1934.IHSA Record Book Stanley left Equality after winning 94% of his games, finishing with a record of 36 wins and only 2 losses.

Stanley next took the reign of Mt. Pulaski High School and led them to a fourth-place finish in 1936.IHSA Record Book In his three years of coaching the Hilltoppers, Stanley coached teams produced 70 wins with only 18 losses. During his time at Mt. Pulaski, he married Laura Jane Dial on August 26, 1934 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

In 1938, he became the head coach of Taylorville High School. During his seven years at the helm, the Tornadoes won four regional titles, two sectional titles and, in 1944, Stanley directed them to a perfect 45–0 record.IHSA Record Book This was Stanley's only state championship team and the first undefeated titlist in Illinois history. That team included future Hall of Fame coach Johnny Orr and 1952 Olympic gold medalist Ron Bontemps. His final record at Taylorville was an astounding 196–42.

Beloit College The success Stanley had demonstrated caught the interest of Beloit College, where he became coach and athletic director in 1945. During his twelve years at Beloit, Stanley's teams won six consecutive Midwest Conference titles from 1946 to 1951. In 1957, he finished his career at Beloit with an overall record of 238 wins with only 57 losses.http://www.beloit.edu/bucs/assets/mbasketballguide.pdf p.20

The 1950–51 season provided some of the most memorable games in Midwest Conference history. The two most prominent events occurred when the Stanley's Buccaneers devastated Cornell (Iowa) 141–53 to establish a Beloit College Field House scoring record, and crushed Ray Meyer's DePaul team 94–60 to break the Chicago Stadium scoring record.

Stanley was very familiar with several starters on his Beloit teams. Examples include, Ron Bontemps, (class of '51), who went on to captain the 1952 Gold Medal Olympic team; Johnny Orr, (class of '49), who later coached at the University of Michigan and Iowa State; and John Erickson, (class of '49), who was the head coach at the University of Wisconsin, director of basketball operations for the Big 8 Conference, and served as the general manager for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Later years After leaving Beloit, Stanley became the athletic director at Drake University.List of Drake University Athletic Directors That career was short-lived, as Stanley's desire to coach brought him back to the high school ranks of Illinois. Stanley became the head coach of Rockford Auburn High School in 1960. His tenure at Auburn was so well received that the gymnasium at the school was named the Dolph Stanley Gymnasium. For 10 seasons Stanley coached the Knights to four regional and three sectional titles, advancing to the state quarterfinals in 1963.IHSA Record Book Though his teams didn't make the finals of the IHSA tournament, Stanley's Auburn teams produced 176 wins to 78 losses.

In 1970, at the age of 65, Stanley retired from the public school setting and focused his coaching in the arena of private school, taking the reign at Boylan Catholic High School, also in Rockford. During his first year at Boylan, Stanley led the Titans to a state quarterfinal appearance. He remained at Boylan until 1980, winning an additional regional title in 1977 while totaling 137 wins. At Boylan, met his most difficulties, losing 130 games – nearly half of his high school total.IHSA Record Book Stanley finished his career at Rockford's Keith Country Day School. During his time at Keith, Stanley compiled a record of 90 wins and 43 losses. He retired in 1989.

Stanley died Monday July 9, 1990 at St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.

Recognition Of the six Illinois high school teams that Stanley coached, five qualified for the Illinois High School Association state quarterfinals. His 1944 Taylorville team won the state championship with a 45–0 record and featured Olympian Ron Bontemps and former Iowa State University coach Johnny Orr. It was the first undefeated champion in the state's history.

Stanley was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association in 1973.Illinois Basketball Coaches Association

In 1977, he received the honor of being named the NIC-10 Coach of the Year.

Stanley was inducted into the Beloit College Athletic Hall of Honor in 1971.

Named Chicago Tribune`s all-time Illinois high school coach in 1990.Chicago Tribune March 16,1990

In 2007, the Illinois High School Association named Stanley one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.100 Legends of the IHSA Tournament

Stanley was also inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame posthumously in October 2009.Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, p.13

The gymnasium at Rockford Auburn as well as the basketball court in Taylorville High School's West Gymnasium are named in his honor.

Head coaching record

School Season Record Postseason Equality HS1933-3436-23rd Place Equality HS 1933-3436-21 season School Season Record Postseason Mt. Pulaski HS1934-3520-7District ChampionsMt. Pulaski HS1935-3626-74th PlaceMt. Pulaski HS1936-3724-4Regional Champions Mt. Pulaski HS 1934-3770-183 seasons School Season Record Postseason Taylorville HS1938-3919-14Taylorville HS1939-4021-11State QuarterfinalsTaylorville HS1940-4126-4Taylorville HS1941-4228-5Regional ChampionsTaylorville HS1942-4328-3Regional ChampionsTaylorville HS1943-4445-0State ChampionsTaylorville HS1944-4529-5Regional Champions Taylorville HS 1938-45196-427 seasons School Season Record Postseason Beloit College1945-4615-6Conference championsBeloit College1946-4722-5Conference championsBeloit College1947-4824-3Conference championsBeloit College1948-4929-4Conference championsBeloit College1949-5025-3Conference championsBeloit College1950-5124-3Conference championsFinal AP Rank 16Beloit College1951-5217-5Beloit College1952-5316-4Beloit College1953-5419-3Beloit College1954-5522-4Beloit College1955-5614-9Beloit College1956-5717-6 Beloit College 1945-57238-5712 seasons School Season Record Postseason Rockford Auburn HS1960-6110-14Rockford Auburn HS1961-6213-13Sectional ChampionsRockford Auburn HS1962-6328-3State QuarterfinalRockford Auburn HS1963-6420-6Sectional ChampionsRockford Auburn HS1964-6516-7Rockford Auburn HS1965-6621-5Rockford Auburn HS1966-6713-9Rockford Auburn HS1967-6818-9Sectional ChampionsRockford Auburn HS1968-6915-8Rockford Auburn HS1969-7022-4Regional Champions Rockford Auburn HS 1960-70176-7810 seasons School Season Record Postseason Rockford Boylan HS1970-7123-9State QuarterfinalsRockford Boylan HS1971-7219-7Rockford Boylan HS1972-737-18Rockford Boylan HS1973-7412-13Rockford Boylan HS1974-7518-9Rockford Boylan HS1975-7615-12Rockford Boylan HS1976-7717-11Regional ChampionsRockford Boylan HS1977-7815-11Rockford Boylan HS1978-797-20Rockford Boylan HS1979-804-20 Rockford Boylan HS 1970-80137-13010 seasons School Season Record Postseason Rockford Keith HS1984-8990-43 Rockford Keith HS 1984-8990-435 seasons

References