View source for Bruce Drake

{{Short description|Basketball player and coach (1905–1983)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Bruce Drake
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|12|5}}
| birth_place = 
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1983|12|4|1905|12|5}}
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| player_sport1 = Basketball
| player_years2 = 1926–1929
| player_team2 = [[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Oklahoma]]
| player_sport3 = Track and field
| player_years4 = 1927–1929
| player_team4= [[Oklahoma Sooners track and field|Oklahoma]]
| coach_sport1= Basketball
| coach_years2 = 1938–1955
| coach_team2 = [[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Oklahoma]]
| coach_sport3 = Golf
| coach_years4 = 1933–1951
| coach_team4 = [[Oklahoma Sooners men's golf|Oklahoma]]
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|200|182|record=y}}
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = {{Winning percentage|4|3|record=y}}
| championships = 5 [[Big Eight Conference|Big Six]] Championship (1939, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1947)<br/>[[Big Eight Conference|Big Seven]] Championship (1949)<br/>NCAA Runner-up (1947)<br/> NCAA Final Four (1939)
| awards = [[Helms Athletic Foundation|Helms Foundation]] [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] ([[1929 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1929]])<br />First-team All-[[Big Eight Conference|Big Six]] (1929)
| coaching_records = 
| BASKHOF_year = 1973
| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006
| BASKHOF_id = bruce-drake
}}
'''Bruce Drake''' (December 5, 1905 – December 4, 1983) was an American college men's basketball and golf coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1983/12/05/former-ou-coach-dies/62822105007/|title=Former OU coach dies|publisher=The Oklahoman|date=December 5, 1983|access-date=December 22, 2024}}</ref> The [[Gentry, Texas]] native was head coach at the [[University of Oklahoma]] between 1938 and 1955, compiling a 200–181 record. He also coached the Air Force team to a 34–14 record in 1956.

Prior to coaching, he was also a star for [[Hugh McDermott (basketball)|Hugh McDermott]]'s Oklahoma team. He was a 1928–29 [[Helms Foundation]] [[All-America]]n. He was a multi-sport athlete at Oklahoma.<ref>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/okla/sports/c-track/auto_pdf/2008_guide_section7.pdf CBS Sports] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404133400/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/okla/sports/c-track/auto_pdf/2008_guide_section7.pdf |date=April 4, 2019 }} 2007 University of Oklahoma Track & Field Guide, p130</ref>

As a coach, Drake led the [[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Sooners]] to two [[Final Four]]s–the first one in 1939, here they lost to Oregon 55–37; the second in 1947, where he lost in the Championship Game to Holy Cross 58–47. He made only one additional [[1943 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA tournament]] appearance, in 1943. However, he coached at a time when only eight teams made the tournament. He won or shared six ([[Big Eight Conference|Big Six/Big Seven]] conference titles. At the time of his retirement, he was the winningest coach in OU history, but is now third behind [[Billy Tubbs]] and [[Kelvin Sampson]].

He coached 5 [[Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics|Olympic]]  ([[Wayne Glasgow]] and [[Marcus Freiberger]] of [[University of Oklahoma]], 1952; [[William Evans (basketball)|Bill Evans]], [[Ron Tomsic]] and [[Gib Ford]] of Air Force team, 1956) and three [[All-America]]ns ([[Jimmy McNatt]], 1940; [[Gerald Tucker]], 1943, 1947; [[Allie Paine]], 1944)

Drake was selected as the assistant coach for the [[Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics|1956 USA Men's Basketball]] Gold Medal Olympic Team
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=moly_1956 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-04-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910035316/http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=moly_1956 |archive-date=2008-09-10 }}</ref>

In 1958 he coached the Wichita Vickers in the [[National Industrial Basketball League]] getting 30–21 record tying him for first with his old player [[Gerald Tucker]] who was coaching the [[Bartlesville Phillips 66ers]].

One of the lasting contributions Drake developed is the [[shuffle offense]]. He helped make goaltending illegal.

Drake was the Chairman of the NCAA Rules Committee from 1951 to 1955. He made the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1973.

==Head coaching record==
{{CBB Yearly Record Start
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|
|name=[[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Oklahoma Sooners]]
|startyear=1938
|conference=[[Big Eight Conference|Big Six Conference]]
|endyear=1947
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1938–39 NCAA men's basketball season|1938–39]]
 | name         = [[1938–39 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 12–9
 | conference   = 7–3
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[1939 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Final Four]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1939–40 NCAA men's basketball season|1939–40]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 12–7
 | conference   = 8–2
 | confstanding = T–1st
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1940–41 NCAA men's basketball season|1940–41]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 6–12
 | conference   = 5–5
 | confstanding = 4th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1941–42 NCAA men's basketball season|1941–42]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 11–7
 | conference   = 8–2
 | confstanding = T–1st
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season|1942–43]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 18–9
 | conference   = 7–3
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = [[1943 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Elite Eight]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season|1943–44]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 15–8
 | conference   = 9–1
 | confstanding = T–1st
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1944–45 NCAA men's basketball season|1944–45]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 12–13
 | conference   = 5–5
 | confstanding = T–3rd
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1945–46 NCAA men's basketball season|1945–46]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 11–10
 | conference   = 7–3
 | confstanding = 2nd
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1946–47 NCAA men's basketball season|1946–47]]
 | name         = [[1946–47 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 24–7
 | conference   = 8–2
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1947 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Runner-up]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|
|name=[[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Oklahoma Sooners]]
|startyear=1947
|conference=[[Big Eight Conference|Big Seven Conference]]
|endyear=1955
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1947–48 NCAA men's basketball season|1947–48]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 13–9
 | conference   = 7–5
 | confstanding = T–2nd
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1948–49 NCAA men's basketball season|1948–49]]
 | name         = Oklahoma
 | overall      = 14–10
 | conference   = 9–3
 | confstanding = T–1st
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1949–50 NCAA men's basketball season|1949–50]]
 | name         = [[1949–50 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 12–10
 | conference   = 6–6
 | confstanding = T–4th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1950–51 NCAA men's basketball season|1950–51]]
 | name         = [[1950–51 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 14–10
 | conference   = 6–6
 | confstanding = 4th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1951–52 NCAA men's basketball season|1951–52]]
 | name         = [[1951–52 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 7–17
 | conference   = 4–8
 | confstanding = T–4th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1952–53 NCAA men's basketball season|1952–53]]
 | name         = [[1952–53 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 8–13
 | conference   = 5–7
 | confstanding = T–4th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season|1953–54]]
 | name         = [[1953–54 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 8–13
 | conference   = 4–8
 | confstanding = 6th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season|1954–55]]
 | name         = [[1954–55 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Oklahoma]]
 | overall      = 3–18
 | conference   = 1–11
 | confstanding = 7th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Oklahoma
 | overall    = {{Winning percentage|200|182|record=y}}
 | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|106|80|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
|overall={{Winning percentage|200|182|record=y}}
}}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->

==External links==
* {{Basketballhof|bruce-drake}}

{{Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{1973 Basketball HOF}}
{{Basketball Hall of Fame coaches}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Bruce}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1983 deaths]]
[[Category:All-American college men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Texas]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Texas]]
[[Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners men's golf coaches]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:People from Potter County, Texas]]
[[Category:Phillips 66ers players]]