Jack Hartman was known for taking basketball teams with less talent and consistently beating opposing teams with more during his tenure as a college basketball coach from 1955 to 1986.

 

Hartman was born in Oklahoma in 1925 and graduated from Shidler High School in 1943. He attended Oklahoma A & M where he played both basketball and football for one season before joining the military. When Hartman's service in the Navy ended, he returned to Oklahoma A & M where he played quarterback on the football team earning All-Missouri Valley Conference honors.  He graduated with an Education degree in 1950. Hartman then played one year of professional football as quarterback for Saskatchewan of the CFL, earning all-league honors.  

 

Hartman began his coaching career coaching football at Plainville, KS in 1951 before moving on to Shidler, OK where he coached football and basketball.  In 1953 he coached football at Wagoner, OK.  He then returned to Oklahoma State University where he was a graduate student and coached basketball under the incomparable Henry Iba. Hartman earned an MS degree in 1954.

 

Hartman spent seven years at Coffeyville Junior College where he was the head basketball coach and assistant football coach for 3 years.  His 1962 basketball team finished 32-0 as NJCAA national champions.  

 

Hartman then spent seven years at Southern Illinois from 1962-1970 where his 1967 squad won the NIT championship and he was named Sporting News Coach of the Year. 

 

Hartman then moved to Kansas State University where he became the winningest coach in that school’s history.  Compiling a 295-169 record at Kansas State, he guided the Wildcats to three Big-Eight regular-season championships, two Big-Eight tourney crowns, seven NCAA tourney appearances, and one NIT berth. Hartman registered 20 or more wins seven times at K-State.  He was named Big 8 Coach of the Year in 75 and 77 and was named the NABC National Coach of the Year in 1981. In 1984, Coach Hartman was elected and served as President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Hartman officially retired from coaching in 1986.  In 1996, Hartman was called out of retirement to coach the Kansas State Women’s Basketball team for the last seven games of that season.

 

Hartman tutored future pros Mike Evans, Rolando Blackman, and Ed Nealy at KSU and Walt Frazier at Southern Illinois. While at K-State his team defeated the Russian Olympic Team.  Hartman also coached the U.S. Pan-American team and Michael Jordan to the 1983 gold medal.  In 23 years at the NCAA Division I level, Hartman was 439-233. His incredible total career win-loss record, at all collegiate levels, stands at 589-279.

 

Coach Jack Hartman was inducted into the Southern Illinois University Hall of Fame in 1986, the Kansas State University Hall of Fame in 1990, the State of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and the National Junior College Hall of Fame in 1991.  His 1967 SIU basketball team was inducted in the Southern Illinois University Hall of Fame in 2000.

 

Hartman died in 1998. His wife, Pat, still lives in Manhattan, Kansas. All three of Hartman’s daughters graduated from Kansas State University.  His daughter, Jackie Hartman Borck lives in Manhattan where she retired as the Chief of Staff for the President of Kansas State University.  Daughter Davy Hartman Campbell lives in Kansas City, MO; and Jana Hartman Perkins lives in Corinth, Texas.