| Wins against Kentucky - 14 | Losses against Kentucky - 18 |
Alma Mater: Presbyterian [1952]
Hometown: Paducah, KY
Date Born: April 17, 1930
Date Died: October 25, 2010
Overall Record: 278-135 [16 Seasons]
Obituary - SEC Digital Network (October 26, 2010)
Roy Skinner, who won 278 basketball games, compiled an 81.5 percent winning percentage at Memorial Gym and recruited the first black athlete to the Southeastern Conference [sic, Adolph Rupp unsuccessfully recruited Wes Unseld in 1964 and Alfred "Butch" Beard in 1965 in basketball and later Nat Northington was recruited and accepted a scholarship to the Kentucky football program on December 20, 1965; Perry Wallace did not sign scholarship papers with Vanderbilt until early May 1966, although Wallace was the first black basketball player to play varsity in the SEC], died of respiratory failure at Southern Hills Medical Center. He was 80.
Skinner, who died Oct. 25, won 278 of the 413 games he coached in Memorial Gym, lending an air of intimidating "Memorial Magic" to Vanderbilt's home court.
"Somewhere along the late 1960s, early 1970s, newspapers started writing about it and coaches started complaining about us winning our home games," Skinner said during a 2007 interview with sports historian Bill Traughber. "There were charges of referees with 'home cooking.'"
Skinner, inducted into the Vanderbilt sports Hall of Fame last year, joined the staff of Commodores coach Bob Polk in 1957. The next season he became acting coach when Polk fell ill, and two years later got the job permanently when Polk retired.
Skinner coached many standout players during his 1961-1973 tenure as head coach, including Clyde Lee, Bob Grace, Jeff Fosnes, Terry Compton, Tom Hagan, Joe Ford, Thorpe Weber, John Ed Miller, Jan van Breda Kolff and Perry Wallace, the first black athlete in the SEC [sic, see above].
"The chancellor told me that Vanderbilt was open to black athletes," Skinner said. "I didn't come close to getting any until Perry came along. He was a straight-A student and I practically lived with Perry. I worked awfully hard on him."
Wallace faced some harsh treatment during road games, but was successful and other SEC teams began recruiting African American athletes. Wallace graduated with an engineering degree and went on to become an attorney and law professor.
Skinner, a native of Paducah, Ky., started his coaching career at Paducah Junior College, where he was also a player. He went on to play and earn a degree from Presbyterian College in South Carolina. At Vanderbilt, he developed a reputation of canny recruitment of players others had overlooked combined with intensive coaching so that each player reached his potential.
Over 16 seasons, Skinner won 278 games and lost 135. He was named the SEC coach of the year four times - 1965, 1967, 1974 and 1976.
A memorial service was being planned. Skinner is survived by wife Nathleen, known as "Tootsie," and several children.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to the Roy Skinner Scholarship in Men's Basketball, Vanderbilt Gift Processing Office, PMB 407727, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, Tenn., 37240-7727.Ê The family will be notified of gifts in memory of coach Skinner.
