OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – On this day in 1904, a titan of Oklahoma basketball was born.
Henry Payne Iba was born on August 6, 1904, in Easton, Missouri.
According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Iba’s coaching career began at Oklahoma City Classen High School, where the Comets earned one state championship and a 51-5 record in two years.
Before beginning his career at Oklahoma State University (then known as Oklahoma A&M), he spent time with the Maryville Teachers College in Missouri, finishing with a 101-14 record in his career with the team. He then made his way to the University of Colorado for one year before his debut season with the Cowboys in 1935.
During his 36 years with OSU, Iba led the Cowboys to two back-to-back NCAA championships in 1945 and 1946, winning 655 games overall in his career with the team.
In addition to basketball, Iba also served as the Cowboys’ baseball coach until 1941, with a 90-41 record.
Iba took the global stage in the 60s and 70s as he led the U.S. Olympic basketball team to gold medals in 1964 and 1968, with a silver medal in 1972.
Other honors Iba earned for his career include a spot in the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Missouri Hall of Fame, Helms Foundation All-Time Hall of Fame for basketball and the Basketball’s All-Time Hall of Fame.
Iba died on January 15, 1993, in Stillwater.
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