Don Corbett

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Don Corbett
Biographical details
Born(1942-10-05)October 5, 1942
Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 12, 2018(2018-09-12) (aged 75)
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma materLincoln University (MO)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1965–1967Carver HS
1967–1968South Carolina State (assistant)
1968–1971Tennessee State (assistant)
1971–1979Lincoln (MO)
1979–1993North Carolina A&T
Head coaching record
Overall413–204 (.669)
Tournaments0–7 (NCAA Division I)
6–5 (NCAA Division II)
0–1 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
7 MEAC regular season (1981, 1982, 1984–1986, 1988, 1992)
7 MEAC tournament (1982–1988)
3 MIAA regular season (1972, 1975, 1977)
MIAA tournament (1977)
Awards
6× MEAC Coach of the Year (1982–1986, 1988)

Don Corbett (October 5, 1942 – September 12, 2018) was an American college basketball coach for North Carolina A&T State University, where he led the program to seven NCAA tournament appearances from 1982 to 1988.[1]

Corbett was born in Columbus, Georgia and raised in Thomasville.[2] After graduating from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri and obtaining his master's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Corbett began his coaching career at Carver High School in Columbus, Georgia. After assistant coaching stints at South Carolina State and Tennessee State, he became head coach at Lincoln in 1971.[3]

At NCAA Division II Lincoln, Corbett led his teams to an eight-year 159–59 record from 1971 to 1979. During that time, the Blue Tigers won three Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) regular season championships (1972, 1975 and 1977) and one MIAA tournament title (1977). His teams earned five NCAA Division II tournament appearances (1972, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978) and never won fewer than 17 games in a season. Corbett's .729 winning percentage is the highest in program history. In 2014 he was named to the MIAA Hall of Fame.[4]

In 1979, Corbett moved to Division I North Carolina A&T. After an initial rebuilding season where his Aggies went 8–19, Corbett's teams ran off a string of eight consecutive seasons winning either the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season or tournament championship (winning both in five seasons). The Aggies program won seven consecutive MEAC tournament titles between 1982 and 1988, a streak only equaled in Division I history by the Kentucky Wildcats.[1][5] Corbett retired in 1993 with a 256–145 record in his thirteen seasons.

Corbett was inducted into several basketball halls of fame - including the MEAC Hall of Fame, the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame, the MIAA Hall of Fame and the Lincoln University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2006, North Carolina A&T named the court of the Corbett Sports Center after Corbett and fellow Aggie coaching great Cal Irvin.[4][6]

Corbett died of cancer on September 12, 2018.[1]

Head coaching record[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Lincoln Blue Tigers (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) (1971–1979)
1971–72 Lincoln 22–6 11–1 1st NCAA College Division Sweet Sixteen
1972–73 Lincoln 19–7 9–3
1973–74 Lincoln 18–8 7–5
1974–75 Lincoln 19–9 9–3 1st NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen
1975–76 Lincoln 20–8 8–4 NCAA Division II First Round
1976–77 Lincoln 22–6 11–1 1st NCAA Division II First Round
1977–78 Lincoln 22–6 9–3 NCAA Division II Elite Eight
1978–79 Lincoln 17–9 7–5
Lincoln: 159–59 (.729) 71–25 (.740)
North Carolina A&T Aggies (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (1979–1993)
1979–80 North Carolina A&T 8–19 0–6 5th
1980–81 North Carolina A&T 21–8 7–3 1st NIT First Round
1981–82 North Carolina A&T 19–9 10–2 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1982–83 North Carolina A&T 23–8 9–3 2nd NCAA Division I First Round
1983–84 North Carolina A&T 22–7 9–1 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1984–85 North Carolina A&T 19–10 10–2 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1985–86 North Carolina A&T 22–8 12–2 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1986–87 North Carolina A&T 24–6 12–2 2nd NCAA Division I First Round
1987–88 North Carolina A&T 26–3 16–0 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1988–89 North Carolina A&T 9–18 6–10 T–6th
1989–90 North Carolina A&T 12–17 6–10 6th
1990–91 North Carolina A&T 17–10 10–6 T–2nd
1991–92 North Carolina A&T 18–9 11–4 T–1st
1992–93 North Carolina A&T 14–13 9–7 T–2nd
North Carolina A&T: 254–145 (.637) 127–58 (.686)
Total: 413–204 (.669)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Mills, Jeff (September 13, 2018). "Don Corbett, former A&T basketball coach, dies". News & Record. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "Don Corbett obituary". News & Record. September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  3. ^ "Corbett gets basketball job at Lincoln U." Jefferson City News Tribune. August 1, 1971. p. 13. Retrieved September 20, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b Carr, Dan (March 31, 2014). "Former LU coach Don Corbett to be inducted into MIAA hall of fame". lubluetigers.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  5. ^ Dell, John (March 8, 2009). "Legend: Don Corbett led the Aggies to seven consecutive MEAC Tournament championships A&T". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  6. ^ Williams, Callenna (September 13, 2018). "Renowned A&T basketball coach, Don Corbett, dies at 75". hbcugameday.com. Retrieved September 15, 2018.

External links[edit]


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