College Basketball Hall of Fame Coach. Legendary basketball coach of the University of Evansville. He coached the "Purple Aces" to NCAA Division II National Championships in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1971. He was an advocate of high-scoring "fast break" play. An entertaining innovator, he dressed his early teams in robes. His 31-year coaching record at Evansville included 514 victories, and he was twice named NCAA Division II national coach of the year. On December 13, 1977, during the first season after his retirement, the Evansville basketball team, including new coach Bobby Watson (a replacement for Evansville grad Jerry Sloan who had initially accepted the position), radio broadcaster Marv Bates, three crew members and two Air Indianapolis officials were killed in a crash shortly after takeoff from Evansville's Dress Regional Airport. This tragedy reportedly haunted Arad McCutchan for the rest of his life. After his death, an anonymous friend donated $300,000 to the university for a football stadium, with the stipulation it be named "Arad McCutchan Stadium."
College Basketball Hall of Fame Coach. Legendary basketball coach of the University of Evansville. He coached the "Purple Aces" to NCAA Division II National Championships in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1971. He was an advocate of high-scoring "fast break" play. An entertaining innovator, he dressed his early teams in robes. His 31-year coaching record at Evansville included 514 victories, and he was twice named NCAA Division II national coach of the year. On December 13, 1977, during the first season after his retirement, the Evansville basketball team, including new coach Bobby Watson (a replacement for Evansville grad Jerry Sloan who had initially accepted the position), radio broadcaster Marv Bates, three crew members and two Air Indianapolis officials were killed in a crash shortly after takeoff from Evansville's Dress Regional Airport. This tragedy reportedly haunted Arad McCutchan for the rest of his life. After his death, an anonymous friend donated $300,000 to the university for a football stadium, with the stipulation it be named "Arad McCutchan Stadium."
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