Jim Dutcher (basketball)

Jim Dutcher is a former head basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.

Jim Dutcher
Biographical details
Alma materMichigan
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1966–1972Eastern Michigan
1972–1975Michigan (assistant)
1975–1986Minnesota
Head coaching record
Overall312–163
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Big Ten regular season (1982)

Early life and education

Dutcher was born and raised in Alpena, Michigan. He graduated from Alpena High School in 1951 where he was class President and a three sport athlete, earning All-State honors in football and basketball. He attended the University of Michigan, where he received an Elmer Gideon Scholarship to play football and basketball. A member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, he majored in physical education, graduating with a B.S. in 1955 and earning an M.A. from the University of Michigan in 1961. [1][2][3] Dutcher joined the Army in 1955, serving as a member of the 3rd Armored Division and was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. He coached and played on the 3rd Armored Division Artillery basketball team while in Germany and also coached offensive line for the Armored Division football team. Dutcher married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn, in 1957.

Early coaching career

Dutcher began his coaching career at Alpena Community College[4] where he served as Athletic Director and head basketball coach culminating in a trip to the National Junior College Tournament in 1966. He was twice named conference coach of the year. In 1966, he became the head basketball coach at Eastern Michigan University, where he was named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) District Coach of the Year in 1971 and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) District 4, Coach of the Year in 1972.

While at Eastern Michigan, his team played in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971; and the NCAA College Division Finals in Evansville, Indiana in 1972. Prominent players Dutcher coached at Eastern Michigan included Kennedy McIntosh, who played with the Seattle SuperSonics; Earl Higgins, who played with the Indiana Pacers; Harvey Marlatt, who played with the Detroit Pistons; and Hall of Famer George Gervin, nicknamed "The Iceman," who played with the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls.

Dutcher became an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, under head coach Johnny Orr. During the 1974-75 season the team won the Big Ten Championship.[5][6]

Minnesota head coach

Dutcher took over the Gophers program in 1975 following the departure of Bill Musselman. The highlight of his time at Minnesota was 1982, a season in which he led the Gophers to the Big Ten Championship — to date, the last "official" conference title for the Gophers — and a Sweet 16 appearance. He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1982.

Prominent players coached by Dutcher at Minnesota included Ray Williams, who later played for the New York Knicks; Mychal Thompson, who played for the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers; Kevin McHale, who played for the Boston Celtics; Trent Tucker, who played for the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls; Randy Breuer, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings; Flip Saunders, who became an NBA coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards; Osborne Lockhart, who played for the Harlem Globetrotters; Jim Peterson, who played for the Houston Rockets; Darrell Mitchell, who was named first-team All-Big Ten, and Tommy Davis, also a first-team All-Big Ten player.

On January 25, 1986, three Gopher players were arrested on rape charges in Madison, Wisconsin. A Madison woman claimed the players raped her at their team hotel hours after the Gophers played the Wisconsin Badgers. After the arrests, U of M officials canceled the Gophers' next scheduled game, against Northwestern, citing the arrests and a series of less serious incidents prior to the arrests. Not agreeing with the University's decision to forfeit the game, Dutcher resigned as head coach. All three players were ultimately acquitted of all charges.

Post-coaching career

Dutcher went on to become a registered financial advisor and became a Senior Vice President for Royal Bank of Canada-Dain. He retired from RBC in 2005.

Family

Dutcher and his wife Marilyn had four children; son Brian Dutcher is the head basketball coach at San Diego State; daughter Diane McNutt is Vice President of Human Capital at UnitedHealthcare; Judi Dutcher is an attorney, the former Minnesota State Auditor and the CEO of the Bentson Foundation; and Barbara Jacobson is a Director of Market Research at UnitedHealthcare. Marilyn Dutcher died in 2010.

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Eastern Michigan Eagles (Independent) (1966–1972)
1966–67 Eastern Michigan 18–7NAIA District 23 Playoffs
1967–68 Eastern Michigan 20–9NAIA National Tournament
1968–69 Eastern Michigan 20–9NAIA National Tournament
1969–70 Eastern Michigan 22–7NAIA National Tournament
1970–71 Eastern Michigan 23–10NAIA National Tournament
1971–72 Eastern Michigan 24–7NCAA-CD Nationals
Eastern Michigan: 127–49[7]
Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big Ten) (1975–1986)
1975–76 Minnesota 16–108–106th
1976–77 Minnesota 24–3%^15–3%2nd
1977–78 Minnesota 17–10^12–6T-2nd
1978–79 Minnesota 11–166–12T-8th
1979–80 Minnesota 21–1110–8T-6thNIT Runner Up
1980–81 Minnesota 19–119–9T-5thNIT 3rd Place
1981–82 Minnesota 23–614–41stNCAA Sweet 16
1982–83 Minnesota 18–119–9T-6thNIT 1st Round
1983–84 Minnesota 15–136–12T-8th
1984–85 Minnesota 13–156–128th
1985–86 Minnesota 13–7$3–4
Minnesota: 190–113&98–89&
Total:312-163&

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

% Records are unofficial due to NCAA sanctions from former coach Bill Musselman (0–27,0–18).
^ Team was banned from any postseason tournament in 1976–1978.
$ Dutcher resigned midseason; he was replaced by Jimmy Williams.
& Dutcher's record before the sanctions was (190–113,98–89) but because of the sanctions,it is (166–137,83–89).
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References
  1. "Recent Pinnings" The Sigman. April 1955.
  2. "New Pledges are Active" The Sigman. November 1952.
  3. "StarTribune.com Wife of former U coach Dutcher dies". Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
  4. "StarTribune.com Wife of former U coach Dutcher dies". Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
  5. "GopherHole.com Where are they now? Jim Dutcher - Celebrating 25 Years since the 82 BT Title". Archived from the original on 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  6. "GopherHole.com Where are they now? Jim Dutcher - Celebrating 25 Years since the 82 BT Title". Archived from the original on 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  7. http://www.emueagles.com/documents/2015/11/3//FullBook_FINAL_110315.pdf?id=4038
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