Lee Floyd (1979) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Lee Floyd

Induction:
1979

Lee Floyd was one of the brightest and innovative head basketball coaches in Southern Miss history. In his first stint as head coach from 1949 to 1954 he helped to develop the program into one of the most competitive in the nation, while during his second stint from 1962 to 1971 he helped lay the groundwork that brought the program into the Division I ranks.
   Floyd's coaching career began in the United States Navy. As a Chief Petty Officer he coached a successful Pensacola Naval Air Station team, which paved the way for his joining the Southern staff. He had been an all-star performer at El Paso (Texas) Catholic High School and a collegiate standout at Texas-El Paso in the early 1940s. He then played service ball for the heralded Norman (Oklahoma) Skyjackets, rated the number three team in the nation.
   When Floyd arrived at Southern Miss he had a dream of building a big time college program and went right to work to accomplish his goal.
   His very first team at Southern Miss finished with a 19-7 record and won the Gulf States Conference regular season championship with an impressive 14-2 mark. That team advanced to the NAIA District 19 playoffs.
   Two years later Floyd had the team in the national tournament. The 1951-52 team went 29-8 and again won the Gulf States Conference regular season crown with a 13-3 mark, won the league's post-season tournament, the NAIA District 19 playoffs and earned a spot in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.
   Floyd would take the team to the NAIA National Tournament the next two seasons with the 1952-53 team advancing to the round of eight.
   He left the coaching ranks following the 1953-54 season to work in the wholesale oil and gas business in his home town of El Paso.
   He returned to coach Southern Miss for the 1962-63 season and would lead the team to winning seasons six of eight years as the team was playing the toughest schedules the school had played up to that point.
   During his combined 14 seasons at Southern Miss Floyd became one of the most popular coaches, in any sport, in the school's history. He was credited for bringing and brand of basketball to the state of Mississippi that revolutionized the game in the state.
   His record during his first stint with the school was 117-46 and during his second stint 127-101. His overall record as head coach was 244-147 and winning percentage of 62.4.
   Floyd recruited and coached some of the greatest players in school history including the all-time leading scorer Nick (The Cat) Revon, Tom Bishop, Gary Hannan, Wendell Ladner, Bruce Miller, Rich Corsetto, Jack Gallagher, Gary Kochersperger, Mickey Harrington, John Vitrano and Berlin Ladner, all who are members of the school's 1,000 point career scoring club.
   Floyd was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.