Revisiting UCFs 1976 game at Memphis

Tigers Show Little Concern With Second Half Show
Commercial Appeal November 27, 1976
By Bobby Hall
The longest day for Florida Tech’s basketball team ended last night just like it began – in frustration. But Memphis State was too busy posting an 84-53 victory over the hard-luck knights to express much sympathy.
Because of air travel complications, the Knights got to Memphis from their Orlando, Fla., home with only five of their nine player squad, two coaches and no uniforms. Fortunately, for a crowd of 10,815 which turned out to see MSU in its season opener, the game requires on five players.
Nevertheless, those five Knights, the biggest of whom was only 6-4 in height battled MSU on even terms for a half at the Mid-South Coliseum before yielding to the Tigers’ physical superiority after intermission.
“I thought they were a pretty good little basketball team,” said Tiger coach Wayne Yates, praising the Division 2 team which trailed by only six points (38-32) at halftime. “It’s not how big you are, it’s how big you play that counts.”
The crowd obviously felt the same way and responded with a spirited round of applause to welcome the Knights – who had to borrow old Tiger uniforms – back on the court after intermission.
MSU, relying on strong efforts around the basket from 6-9 John Gunn and 6’-11” John ‘Tree’ Washington and the shooting of 6’-8” James Bradley, quickly pulled away in the second half by outscoring the visitors 20-5 in the first eight minutes.
But the spunky Knights, playing with poise and as a team, refused to be overpowered until the final 20 minutes.
“Our pressure defense eventually got to them.” Yates said.
Guard Bo Clark, son of Knight coach Gene Clark, took game scoring honors with 21 points.
“I thought our guys did a great job for a half,” coach Clark said. “they didn’t do too badly for five guys.”
The start of the game was delayed 30 minutes because it was believed the remaining Knights would be able to make connections on a flight from Atlanta. But the other playewrs – and uniforms – never arrived.
Originally the team was scheduled to arrive at 11:53 a.m. but fog problems in Orlando and Atlanta interfered. The first flight plan had to be canceled and the next flight only had 7 open spaces – enough for the five starters and coaches. The coaches and players arrived in Memphis at 2:30.
“In my 26 years of coaching I’ve never had anything like this happen,” said Clark, whose team opened its season in Orlando with a victory over Flager Friday night. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It wasd just one of those things.”
During his nervous pregame vigil, Clark said, “This has been the longest day of my life…and I’m sure the game will make it longer…but the people with Memphis State have been real nice about it.”
Tiger officials rounded up athletic gear for the team and offered MSU’s old uniforms. The crowd didn’t know exactly what was happening, however, when the five Knights moved onto the court for pregame warm-ups wearing Tiger uniforms.
Some wondered by Tech’s cheerleaders were present, but they said they drove all night to get to Memphis




Brandon Helwig
UCFSports.com Publisher
...Few are still around UCF to remember, but the two schools actually have a history dating back to the 1970s as the Knights played a trio of games in Memphis between 1973 and 1976.
They were worlds apart at the time, but the third meeting between the two schools became one of the most memorable of UCF's young athletic history.
The Upstart vs. the Elite
The year was 1976.
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the year at Super Bowl X. The Boston Celtics were again NBA Champions. The Cincinnati Reds had just swept the New York Yankees in the World Series. 'Rocky' premiered on movie screens that fall. 'Charlie's Angels' began airing on ABC. Rod Stewart had the No. 1 song on the charts with "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright).'
UCF wasn't even UCF yet. They were Florida Technological University, or FTU for short. The name change to University of Central Florida wouldn't happen until a couple years later.
Memphis State, as they were called in those days, was a basketball power then just as they are today. The Tigers were a regular participant in the postseason and were a few years removed from a Final Four appearance under legendary coach Gene Bartow.
The game, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 27, 1976, wasn't meant to be anything other than an easy season-opening win for Memphis and a big payday for UCF.
Now coached by Wayne Yates, the Tigers finished the previous season with a 21-9 record and were coming off a NCAA Tournament appearance.
Led by head coach Torchy Clark, UCF was in its ninth year as a school and eighth season as a basketball program. The Division II Knights had just completed their first season in the Sunshine State Conference.
Bo Clark, the son of Torchy Clark and a sophomore at the time, said the opportunity to play an elite Division I school was something the entire UCF team was looking forward to.
"We figure we'll probably go to Memphis and lose by 15 to 30 points, we know we're going up there for the guarantee, but it's fun when you're Division II and playing against big-time teams like that."
The game held added significance for Jerry Prather, who was a junior in 1976-77. He grew up in New Albany, Miss., located about 80 miles southeast of Memphis.
"I was excited to play in front of some of the hometown fans, at least a few from New Albany," Prather said.
"The flight has been delayed"
Flying the same day as the game wasn't a customary practice, but UCF didn't have a choice because they hosted Flagler the night before for their season opener.
The traveling party of close to 20 people arrived at Orlando Jetport at McCoy (now known as Orlando International Airport) for what was to be an early morning departure for Memphis.
During the night, a dense fog had settled in the area and still persisted even hours after the sun rose.
"The fog was really bad," Bo Clark said. "Usually Orlando doesn't have a lot of fog. We're there at the airport with the whole team. The athletic director, Jack O'Leary, was even there and we're all sitting at the gate. They get on the P.A. and say, 'The flight to Memphis has been delayed.' We're all sitting there like, 'Aw, geez.' We were all tired from playing the night before. We were just waiting, reading the paper and talking."
Their airline refused to take off in such conditions, but they found one that would.
"Our athletic director and trainer began checking with other airlines and they found seven seats available on another airline," Clark said.
The new flight - Clark thinks it might have been Eastern Airlines - was nearing its 10 a.m. departure to Atlanta. They could then grab a connecting flight to Memphis.
Recalls Bo Clark: "My dad said to Ray Ridenour, the assistant coach, 'Let's me and you take the starters up there on this flight to Atlanta. Let's go up there so these guys can have shootaround at the Mid-South Coliseum so we can get used to the arena.' It's a lot different than Winter Park High School, where we played then."
Head coach Torchy Clark, assistant coach Ray Ridenour and UCF's five starters, shooting guard Bo Clark, small forward Jerry Prather, point guard Calvin Lingelbach, power forward Tyronne Sparrow and center Lee Riley, boarded the aircraft fully anticipating the rest of the team would join them in Memphis a few hours later.
"We thought there was a 95 percent chance the fog was going to lift and the other seven guys on the team, the manager, trainer and equipment would get to Memphis, but just miss the shootaround we had scheduled for 2 o'clock.
"It was a crazy thing to do, but I know my dad just really wanted to get us in that gym so we'd at least play well and represent the school. We just thought the other guys would meet us at the hotel."
During their brief layover in Atlanta, Bo Clark said they still believed the rest of the team would soon be on their way.
"My dad actually talked to the AD when we got to Atlanta and he said, 'Torchy, they think the fog is going to lift and we'll be leaving any minute now.'"
Arriving in Memphis at around 2 p.m., the seven-member group rented a van and drove to the Mid-South Coliseum for shootaround. The players were dressed in casual attire.
"Of course we didn't have our equipment," Clark said. "We didn't have our basketball shoes, jocks, t-shirts and of course we had no uniforms. They could only get the seven passengers on the flight and couldn't move the luggage.
"So we went to shootaround in our street clothes. We walk in and it's just the five guys and the two coaches. I remember the athletic director at Memphis State is all wound up. He was like, 'I can't believe this could happen,' and my dad said, 'The fog was terrible in Orlando and they only had seven seats on the one airline. Our other guys will be here probably within the hour.'
"All we did was shoot basically. If some of the guys weren't wearing tennis shoes, I think Memphis gave us some shoes. I know for sure I wore a pair of canvas Chuck Taylors. The kids wear them now to be cool. They were white. I don't remember wearing Memphis practice gear, I think we just shot in whatever we were wearing."
Shootaround ended at around 3 p.m. Tip-off was now four hours away.
Memphis vs. "State"
Bad news greeted the team when they arrived at their hotel to check-in.
"My dad got a call from the AD who said the fog never lifted," Clark said. "The other seven guys aren't coming."
Torchy Clark immediately got on the phone with the Memphis coach and athletic director. He originally thought they could perhaps reschedule the game for the following day.
"The Memphis State AD was like, 'Hey, we've got 10,000 people coming to this game. We can't cancel.' My dad said, 'We don't have any equipment. We don't have uniforms, towels, shoes, jocks, socks or anything else. What the heck are we going to do?'"
Memphis said they'd take care of all their equipment needs. Torchy Clark, conferring with UCF AD Jack O'Leary, reluctantly agreed to play the game as scheduled.
"We all realized we'd only have five guys, my dad and the assistant coach," Clark said. "We'd have no subs. My dad talked to our AD who said, 'Torchy, you're just going to have to wing it.'"
In what's probably one of the only instances in modern college basketball history, UCF played the game wearing the opposing team's uniforms.
"Memphis wore their white home jerseys and we wore their road," Clark said. "They just said State on them in script, not Memphis. Each of us could pick whatever number we wanted. They were dark blue and they had a little red tint in them. So we're sitting there putting on the Memphis State uniforms, laughing and shaking our heads."
A Memphis equipment manager passed out new pairs of white, high-top Converse 'Chuck Taylor All Stars.'
"He'd call out to each of us, 'What size are you?' I was a 12, I think Calvin (Lingelbach) was a 12 and a half," Clark said. "It wasn't a problem at Memphis because I'm sure they had an equipment room about the size of a football field.
"We wore Adidas back then. I usually wore a low-cut and had my ankles taped. These were Chuck Taylors out of the box and it's totally different than these shoes today. Back then you had to break in the shoes and wear them for a week just to make them feel good. I think I had three or four blisters after the game."
Fully dressed and ready to play, the team ran on to the court for the pregame.
"I think it was a big surprise to the fans when we walked out looking like the Memphis Tigers," Prather said. "That was a big joke in the coliseum."
Added Clark: "I kind of felt like, maybe a little embarassed almost. It was a feeling like we didn't have enough money for uniforms, so we came out kind of humble. I'm sure the fans were thinking, 'This is going to be like a 110-60 game.' The fans knew we were Division II."
Clark laughed when he recalled their warm-up routine.
"It was even strange for the layup lines," Clark said. "You had two guys on one side and three on the other."
The Game
The high-flying Memphis State Tigers held every advantage imaginable over the short-handed, Division II FTU Knights.
Physically, they were outclassed. UCF, whose tallest player was 6-foot-4, could hardly match up with Memphis' strong front court trio of James Bradley (6-8), John Gunn (6-9) and John Washington (6-11).
"The size of those guys, that's what sticks out," Prather said. "We didn't have the taller players in that point in time. You see the differences of the different levels, from a Division II to a Division I school, and that's exactly what it was."
Despite the limited roster, UCF did their best to make a game of it.
"We kind of pulled the ball out," Clark said. "This was before the shot clock and three-point shot. We wanted to spread out Memphis State and try to beat them off the dribble. We ran an offense my dad called 'Triangles.' It's totally different than Phil Jackson's 'Triangle.' It's almost like a Princeton set with two guards up in the alley. Basically what we were trying to do is make Memphis come out and play us. We played a two-three zone (defense)."
UCF kept it close throughout the first half and trailed at halftime by just six points, 38-32.
"I think Memphis State was definitely shocked," Prather said. "The coach probably kicked their behinds at halftime and told them they had to play better. We totally shocked them in the first half. They didn't expect our speed or our shooting. Bo was really lighting it up."
Then something happened Clark said he'd never forget.
"When we ran out for the second half, this was before Memphis came out, the fans cheered for us," Clark said. "I'm not talking about an eight-minute standing ovation, but a lot of the people were clapping out of respect to say, "Hey, I give this team credit. This team is better than what we thought.' I thought that was great."
The Knights couldn't keep up in the second half.
"We really started to fatigue," Clark said. "I remember the last eight to 10 minutes I was just so totally exhausted. We had played so hard and even played the night before. And this was with just five guys."
The final score was 84-53 in favor of Memphis. Bo Clark led UCF with 21 points. The Tigers were led by James Bradley who scored 18 points and John Gunn chipped in a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Sadly, Gunn passed away three weeks later after contracting a rare skin condition called Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
"John Gunn was going to be their Mr. All-American," Prather said. "He was the big star back then for Memphis State. I banged against him quite a few times."
Luckily for UCF, they didn't have anyone foul out.
"You had to be careful with your fouls because there weren't any bench options," Clark said.
Prather said that he probably never played in front of more fans. The box score lists a game attendance of 10,815.
"It doesn't matter who they play, Memphis has always supported their basketball," Prather said. "The biggest thing in Memphis, Tennessee has always been the Tigers."
Bo Clark fondly recalls a joke told by his father, Torchy Clark, who was always known for his sense of humor.
"One of the greatest lines my dad ever had as when we came out for the second half," Clark said. "He walked by the scorer's table and said, 'Mr. Scorekeeper, I'm starting my same five.' It was typical Torchy Clark. Those guys, there were like six of them, busted out laughing like it was the funniest thing they ever heard."
Clark says he still has a Memphis Commercial Appeal news clipping from the game. A photo featuring his father, Torchy Clark, and assistant Ray Ridenour standing on the sideline was captioned "The Lonely Bench."
UCF finished the 1976-77 season with a 24-4 record and won their second consecutive Sunshine State Conference championship.
"I think the game definitely prepared us for the remainder of the season for sure," Prather said. "It gave us confidence. If you can stick with a team like Memphis, then we can definitely play in our own league."
The following season, UCF advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four.

I heard about playing in Memphis State uniforms, but never realized some coaches and only 5 players made the trip.

If you told someone back then we would be in the same conference they would probably laugh.

Thanks for posting.

Read that story a few years ago...definitely a unique game.

UCF was a Division II program back then...well before UCF even had a football program...so being able to play (or even travel) to Memphis back then was quite a feat/opportunity for a team that probably didn't have much more than pocket change in their budget.

Someone want to Cliff notes that?

(01-27-2019 10:23 AM)Stickboy46 Wrote:  Someone want to Cliff notes that?

Season opening game in 1976...played in front of an overflowing sold-out crowd at the Mid-South Coliseum (10,815).

FTU (wasn't UCF at the time) was a Division II program playing in "tiny" Orlando back in 1976, just 8 years after classes began at FTU.

Back then...one of the only places one could fly in/out of Orlando was Atlanta...and on that day (FTU planned to fly out morning of the game...since they didn't even much money in their program so they saved extra hotel nights)...original flight to Atlanta was cancelled due to heavy fog...then the next flight only had 7 seats left so 5 players and 2 coaches got on that one (remaining traveling group of 13...including players & staff, along with luggage and uniforms were going to catch and even later flight).

Game was delayed 30 mins hoping the other players could make the connecting flight...that never happened...as the other group never made it to Memphis, so FTU showed up with just 5 players and 2 coaches with no uniforms/shoes, etc...

Memphis Athletic Dept let FTU players wear Memphis State "road" dark uniforms plus gave the 5 FTU players "Chuck Taylor" sneakers to wear.

Tallest player among the 5 for FTU was just 6' 4"...but those 5 Div II players put up a good fight in the first half as Tigers lead just 38-32 at the half...but the 5 FTU players ran out of gas in the 2nd half...as Tigers won 84-53.

NOTE: The following year, FTU reached the Div II Final Four.

(01-27-2019 10:53 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-27-2019 10:23 AM)Stickboy46 Wrote:  Someone want to Cliff notes that?

FTU (wasn't UCF at the time) was a Division II program playing in "tiny" Orlando back in 1976, just 8 years after classes began at FTU.

Back then...one of the only places one could fly in/out of Orlando was Atlanta...and on that day (FTU planned to fly out morning of the game...since they didn't even much money in their program so they saved extra hotel nights)...original flight to Atlanta was cancelled due to heavy fog...then the next flight only had 7 seats left so 5 players and 2 coaches got on that one (remaining traveling group of 13...including players & staff, along with luggage and uniforms were going to catch and even later flight).

Game was delayed 30 mins hoping the other players could make the connecting flight...that never happened...as the other group never made it to Memphis, so FTU showed up with just 5 players and 2 coaches with no uniforms/shoes, etc...

Memphis Athletic Dept let FTU players wear Memphis State "road" dark uniforms plus gave the 5 FTU players "Chuck Taylor" sneakers to wear.

Tallest player among the 5 for FTU was just 6' 4"...but those 5 Div II players put up a good fight in the first half as Tigers lead just 38-32 at the half...but the 5 FTU players ran out of gas in the 2nd half...as Tigers won 84-53.

NOTE: The following year, FTU reached the Div II Final Four.

Great story. I wonder if the Knights make their flight today, lol. I like Florida Tech name better, too. Like Ga Tech. UCF too lettery, lol.

(01-27-2019 11:04 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(01-27-2019 10:53 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-27-2019 10:23 AM)Stickboy46 Wrote:  Someone want to Cliff notes that?

FTU (wasn't UCF at the time) was a Division II program playing in "tiny" Orlando back in 1976, just 8 years after classes began at FTU.

Back then...one of the only places one could fly in/out of Orlando was Atlanta...and on that day (FTU planned to fly out morning of the game...since they didn't even much money in their program so they saved extra hotel nights)...original flight to Atlanta was cancelled due to heavy fog...then the next flight only had 7 seats left so 5 players and 2 coaches got on that one (remaining traveling group of 13...including players & staff, along with luggage and uniforms were going to catch and even later flight).

Game was delayed 30 mins hoping the other players could make the connecting flight...that never happened...as the other group never made it to Memphis, so FTU showed up with just 5 players and 2 coaches with no uniforms/shoes, etc...

Memphis Athletic Dept let FTU players wear Memphis State "road" dark uniforms plus gave the 5 FTU players "Chuck Taylor" sneakers to wear.

Tallest player among the 5 for FTU was just 6' 4"...but those 5 Div II players put up a good fight in the first half as Tigers lead just 38-32 at the half...but the 5 FTU players ran out of gas in the 2nd half...as Tigers won 84-53.

NOTE: The following year, FTU reached the Div II Final Four.

Great story. I wonder if the Knights make their flight today, lol. I like Florida Tech name better, too. Like Ga Tech. UCF too lettery, lol.

Good news...team was able to take a Charter Flight yesterday (I think UCF's only 2nd charter of the season)...so yes, they made it to Memphis in time for today's game.

(01-27-2019 11:09 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-27-2019 11:04 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(01-27-2019 10:53 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-27-2019 10:23 AM)Stickboy46 Wrote:  Someone want to Cliff notes that?

FTU (wasn't UCF at the time) was a Division II program playing in "tiny" Orlando back in 1976, just 8 years after classes began at FTU.

Back then...one of the only places one could fly in/out of Orlando was Atlanta...and on that day (FTU planned to fly out morning of the game...since they didn't even much money in their program so they saved extra hotel nights)...original flight to Atlanta was cancelled due to heavy fog...then the next flight only had 7 seats left so 5 players and 2 coaches got on that one (remaining traveling group of 13...including players & staff, along with luggage and uniforms were going to catch and even later flight).

Game was delayed 30 mins hoping the other players could make the connecting flight...that never happened...as the other group never made it to Memphis, so FTU showed up with just 5 players and 2 coaches with no uniforms/shoes, etc...

Memphis Athletic Dept let FTU players wear Memphis State "road" dark uniforms plus gave the 5 FTU players "Chuck Taylor" sneakers to wear.

Tallest player among the 5 for FTU was just 6' 4"...but those 5 Div II players put up a good fight in the first half as Tigers lead just 38-32 at the half...but the 5 FTU players ran out of gas in the 2nd half...as Tigers won 84-53.

NOTE: The following year, FTU reached the Div II Final Four.

Great story. I wonder if the Knights make their flight today, lol. I like Florida Tech name better, too. Like Ga Tech. UCF too lettery, lol.

Good news...team was able to take a Charter Flight yesterday (I think UCF's only 2nd charter of the season)...so yes, they made it to Memphis in time for today's game.

LOL. Cool, glad to hear they take at least 2 charters a year. j/k

Awesome story, thanks Jeb.

Here's to a great game today

Cool post. I knew the story but not the complete details.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Too bad the team today didn't have the grit and determination of that D-2 team in 1976. What an awful effort. Solid win for Penny & Co.

One of the guys in those photos, John Gunn, died less than a month after this game. He was a preseason All-American that year. Died in December. So sad.

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/s.../95535936/

Thanks guys for this article and your comments. I actually knew coach Torchy "Gene" Clark mentioned in this article. A great guy... a bit gruff...but funny and fair. Torchy taught a course that I took. He died a few years ago after a long battle against cancer.

You guys have honored the memory of a really good guy and a really good basketball coach. Torchy was a local legend.

Here is his obit.

Torchy Clark remembered.

Legendary University of Central Florida basketball coach Eugene "Torchy" Clark has died today, a close family friend told the Orlando Sentinel.

Clark, 80, is survived by a large extended family, including 17 grandchildren. He also is remembered fondly by countless former UCF students who took his classes after he completed his career as the Knights' basketball coach.

"He was a man he truly admired because he liked people, had a great sense o f humor and made you feel great," said former Sentinel columnist Jerry Greene, who covered Clark's career at UCF. "You spent an hour with Torchy and invariably you left feeling a little better than you did before. ... I don't know how many wonderful men or women people get to meet in their lives, but Torchy was one of the truly wonderful people I met."

Clark was responsible for starting UCF's basketball program in 1969. His first team played its first game before the squad even had a nickname. He led the Knights through the 1983 season, compiling a record of 274-89 (.754).
Under Clark's direction, UCF was ranked in the top 10 nationally at the Division II level for seven consecutive years and guided the Knights to six NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. He led UCF to five Sunshine State Conference championships, and in 1978 he guided UCF to the Division II Final Four. Clark was voted Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year four times and was named the conference's coach of the decade.

"UCF played basketball in such a tiny place back when Torchy was coaching," Greene said. "However many it held, probably 1,000 at the most, would be packed for their games and a large reason for that was the show that Torchy put on. He was a delight to watch. He always wore these kind of checkered sports coats, and you'd be disappointed if at some point during the game he didn't take that sports coat off and throw it to the ground."

A native of Appleton, Wisc., Clark is also a member of the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame, Florida Sports Hall of Fame, Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

Following his coaching career, Clark went back in to teaching where he was an instructor in the physical education department at UCF. In October, 2005, the basketball court inside the UCF Arena was dedicated to the former coach and now bears his name.

"He remained a teacher at UCF far longer than he was a basketball coach," Greene said. "Over the years, I talked with so many kids who had his class and they just loved him. … (Former UCF quarterback) Daunte Culpepper absolutely adored Torchy after taking his class."

Clark's survived a battle with cancer and the loss of his wife, Claire, who died in November 2007. He often wove stories about his wife and family into interviews, chats with his players and classroom lectures.

In an interview two months ago with Sentinel, Clark said of his late wife, "I expect to see her. We'll have a lot of time. My only worry is that I'll get to Heaven and find out she's married John the Baptist."





Is High School coaching career was awesome as well.

Torchy on Wiki

He coached 10 seasons at Xavier (the 1959 football season was against JV teams as the school opened with only freshmen and sophomores, and, XHS joined a conference in '61). Torchy's teams won almost 90% of the time, and, they earned plenty of 'hardware' to fill the school's trophy cases: XHS won 7 conference championships in 8 years in football, and, they captured 8 conference titles in 8 seasons in basketball. His record for football and basketball at Xavier was 277-35-2 -- a phenomenal 88% over 10 years.

His basketball teams went to the State Tournament in Milwaukee 6 times in 9 years, and the Hawks returned to Appleton with a trophy each time: Xavier won the State Title in 1963, was 2nd in '64, was 4th once, and claimed 3 Consolation honors. A then-single-game-record-crowd of 7,095 witnessed the '63 state finals, eager to see Xavier top Marquette High, 71-66, in a raucous, 'mostly-blue' Milwaukee Arena.

His basketball teams won 49 straight, but their shot at the '64 state title and 50-in-a-row came up short against Marinette Central & Coach Marty Crowe, 43-37. Torchy's teams also had a 62-game regular season win streak -- before Chicago St. Pat's put an end to that string, 66-54, before an as-always packed-in-crowd in the noisy & hot XHS gym.

The post-season Football Playoffs in Wisconsin did not start until 1969 -- after Clark left Xavier for a college coaching position in Florida.

The gym at Xavier was dedicated in honor of Torchy Clark on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004. Many alumni came back for the special night, including Rocky Bleier, who introduced Coach Clark. The MC for the event was Peter Bates, Xavier Class of 1979 and the Voice of the Hawks for XHS athletic events for 30 years. Torchy – and his wife, Claire – plus the many dedicated coaches and the hard-working, gifted student athletes who first walked the hallways at Xavier were very instrumental in establishing the Hawks’ athletic tradition.

His football teams posted a record of 69-9-2 overall, as 3 times XHS was 9-0 and 3 times was 8-1. Xavier shut out its opponents in nearly 50% of their games, as the Hawks averaged 27 points per game and allowed just 6 points a game... over 9 football seasons. The ’62 team was rated # 1 in the state by the Associated Press.

His basketball teams were 208-26, and, after his first two years never had more than 3 losses in any of 8 straight seasons. XHS was undefeated in 6 seasons at home, and in two other seasons had just one loss at home – as his home-court advantage was 95-7 over 10 seasons. The Hawks outscored opponents in those 10 years by an average of 70.7 points to 50.7 points per game.

Torchy's record for football and basketball at Xavier was 277-35-2 -- a phenomenal 88% over 10 years.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association in 1981, and Torchy was the first Xavier coach to be so honored. [7]

Torchy died April 22, 2009 [8] after a battle with cancer. His wife had died two years earlier.

Why was the name changed from Florida Tech to UCF?
Florida Tech is a great name when compared to the directional status of your current name.

(01-28-2019 12:29 PM)wave97 Wrote:  Why was the name changed from Florida Tech to UCF?
Florida Tech is a great name when compared to the directional status of your current name.

chalk it up to institutional stupidity. like holy cross not joining the big east or tulane and GT leaving the SEC.

(01-28-2019 12:29 PM)wave97 Wrote:  Why was the name changed from Florida Tech to UCF?
Florida Tech is a great name when compared to the directional status of your current name.

The school wasn't growing in non-tech majors (i.e. Business, Education, Arts & Humanities), etc...because HS kids only thought of FL Tech for just being "tech"...so with help from the school president and Governor...name was changed to UCF in 1978...as UCF just built a huge research park and wanted to expand their campus offerings in the non-tech sector.

Also, there was (still is) another Tech school nearby in Melbourne, FL called Florida Institute of Technology...its a private school with about 5,000 students.

Once the name was changed to UCF...it helped attract a lot more students for non-tech majors and the rest you can say is history...as the school grew from 11,000 students as "Florida Tech" to over 68,000 for "UCF".

Most think UCF wouldn't have their College of Medicine or Rosen School of Hospitality today nor much of the other non-tech growth if not for the name change.

If UCF was still going by Florida Tech they would be in the Big XII now.

arent tech schools like 60% dudes? no chance ucf has even 50k by now if they kept the name.

(01-27-2019 10:23 AM)Stickboy46 Wrote:  Someone want to Cliff notes that?

Lol, I was trying to catch it before work this morning, too.They'res gotta be some NCAA material here.

(01-28-2019 12:29 PM)wave97 Wrote:  Why was the name changed from Florida Tech to UCF?
Florida Tech is a great name when compared to the directional status of your current name.

I'm with you on this. I was also wondering about their old logo I have seen on here from time to time. I did some research and learned about the Citronauts. I love the name and the logo. It's distinctive.

Of course the UCF Knights are branded now but I like the Florida Tech Citronauts.