| Wins against Kentucky - 0 | Losses against Kentucky - 2 |
Alma Mater: Wilmington (OH) College
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Date Born: December 15, 1927
Date Died: May 26, 1981
Overall Record: 174-154 [14 Seasons]
| Date | Matchup | UK Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/25/1978 | Kentucky at Tennessee | W | 68 - 57 | - |
| 2/15/1978 | Tennessee at Kentucky | W | 90 - 77 | Rescheduled from 28-JAN due to ice |
Obituary - The Tennessean (May 27, 1981)
Cliff Wettig Dies of Heart Attack
BIRMINGHAM - Cliff Wettig, an assistant to former Tennessee basketball coach Ray Mears who also served as acting coach of the Vols for the 1977-78 season, died after suffering a heart attack yesterday.
He was 53.
Wettig, who had no history of heart trouble, collapsed at his suburban home early yesterday afternoon and was rushed to the Brookwood Medical Center by his wife, Florence. He was pronounced dead at 5:45 p.m.
A native of Cincinnati, Wettig had been head basketball coach at Samford University here for the last two years.
"The death of Cliff Wettig comes as a great shock to all of us at Samford University," Leslie S. Wright, president of the school, said last night. "He was a fine man, an outstanding coach and a great leader of young men.
"He was highly respected in his profession and well-loved by his staff members, his players and all his many friends at Samford. This is a tremendous loss."
After learning of Wettig's death, Mears said, "I feel strongly about Cliff just like I did about Stu (Aberdeen, a long-time Mears' assistant coach who died of a heart attack two years ago). He was very loyal to me and he was a good friend."
Wettig is survived by his wife and four daughters, Pam, Patti, Phyllis and Peggy.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete last night.
Wettig, who had an lifetime coaching record of 174-154, was a head coach at the college and high school levels for 28 years. He coached nine seasons at Grove City College (Pa.) and two years at Slippery Rock College (Pa.) before joining Mears' staff at Tennessee.
While at Tennessee, Wettig helped the Volunteers to a 33-21 record and one trip to the NCAA championship playoff. During his year as acting head coach, the Vols compiled a record of 11-16.
Wettig joined Samford as assistant athletic director in 1978 and was one of the founders of the Trans America Athletic Conference, of which Samford is a charter member. He was named head coach in 1979. In a rebuilding campaign at Samford, Wettig's teams went 18-36 but finished in a tie for third place during the Trans America Conference regular season race both years.
Wettig was graduated from Wilmington College of Ohio, where he played basketball during the late 1940s. He also received a master's degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati.
