Greg Hansen's top 10 father-son sports duos in Tucson history
- Updated
Star sports columnist Greg Hansen counts down the 10 greatest father-son sports duos in Tucson history.
- Greg Hansen
Editor's note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today's list: The top 10 father-son sports duos in Tucson history.
In the winter of 1955, B.C. "Bud" Doolen, basketball coach at Tucson High, won his 700th game, then the highest total in American history.
He died two weeks later of a heart attack. He was only 55.
Doolen’s Badgers basketball teams won five state championships from 1942-49, and he joked that basketball wasn’t really his top sport.
"I played football at Illinois with Red Grange," he told the Star. "I got my first job coaching the high school football team in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, but the way it worked out, basketball has become my sport."
From 1935-55, Doolen was 395-96 at Tucson High; he even coached the Badgers to the 1943 state track championship. Unfortunately, Doolen didn’t live to see his son Buddy become a three-sport athlete and a Hall of Fame basketball coach, winning 381 games at Mesa Westwood High School.
The Doolens, father and son, are an easy pick among the top 10 father-son combinations in Tucson sports history. Here’s the list:
- Greg Hansen
In his years at Tucson High, Bill Hassey was a three-time first-team all-state baseball player, a key part of two state title teams. More? He was a first-team All-State basketball player in 1945, started as a freshman baseball outfielder at Arizona, hitting .312 in 1948. He signed with the New York Yankees and played in the minor leagues. A generation later, Ron helped Tucson High win the 1972 state championship and was the biggest bat in the lineup (84 RBIs) as Arizona won its first NCAA baseball championship in 1976. He then played 13 major-league seasons, helping Oakland win the 1989 World Series.
- Greg Hansen
Tough call among the first two on this list. Mark Hardy, an All-WAC tennis player who helped the UA to four consecutive top 10 rankings, won the 1969 state tennis championship at Catalina High School and played on the ATP circuit for about 10 years, playing in both the U.S. Open and the French Open. J.J., a Sabino High School grad, is a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner who now plays shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.
- Greg Hansen
As the UA’s basketball coach from 1925-61, Fred A. Enke won 509 games. His son, Fred W., led the NCAA in total offense in 1947 and then became the UA’s first NFL quarterback.
- Greg Hansen
Nothing but big numbers here: Dick coached Sahuaro High School to four basketball state championships and won a then-state record 774 games. Rick led Sahuaro to the 1973 and 1974 state baseball titles, and was an all-city basketball guard who became part of Arizona’s 1976 NCAA baseball championship team. Rick later coached Mesa Westwood High to more than 500 victories.
- Greg Hansen
Catalina Junior High School was later renamed Bud Doolen Middle School.
- Greg Hansen
Fat led Pueblo High to back-to-back state basketball titles in 1977-78, became an All-Pac-10 point guard at Arizona State and a two-time NBA All-Star. Anthony was a 1997 All-State guard at Canyon del Oro, scoring 57 points in a game, and later playing in the rotation for Oregon’s 2002 Pac-10 champions.
- Greg Hansen
Gotta like the coaching chops in the Mayfield family: Ollie coached Tucson High to 1970 and 1971 state football championships, with both teams often mentioned among the top in state history. Todd coached Palo Verde to the 2005 state title after he won 81 games as Tucson High’s head coach.
- Greg Hansen
The elder Howell, a Tucson High grad, set the UA basketball scoring record, 33 points, in 1952. A year earlier, he was a key component to what was then the best basketball team in school history, a 24-6 NCAA tournament team that was ranked as high as No. 12. He also started for two Tucson High state championship teams. Son Jack, a Palo Verde High School and Pima College grad, helped the Aztecs to the 1981 NJCAA World Series, started at third base for the UA in 1982 and then played nine seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres.
- Greg Hansen
Gayle won the 1964 NCAA long-jump championship for Arizona and set school records in the long jump and triple jump. He made the USA Olympic team in Japan. Chris rushed for 2,118 yards and 18 touchdowns at Salpointe Catholic High School in 1991, leading the Lancers to the ’92 state championship game. He later ran for 1,745 yards as a member of Arizona State's football team.
- Greg Hansen
As the Salpointe Catholic basketball coach from 1977-93, Jim’s teams won more than 250 games. He then coached the Lancers to state golf championships in 1981 and 2004. Sean scored 2,332 points at Salpointe, then fourth in state history and No. 2 in Tucson. He scored 1,001 as a starting college forward at the University of San Diego.
More like this...
- Greg Hansen
Editor's note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today's list: The top 10 father-son sports duos in Tucson history.
In the winter of 1955, B.C. "Bud" Doolen, basketball coach at Tucson High, won his 700th game, then the highest total in American history.
He died two weeks later of a heart attack. He was only 55.
Doolen’s Badgers basketball teams won five state championships from 1942-49, and he joked that basketball wasn’t really his top sport.
"I played football at Illinois with Red Grange," he told the Star. "I got my first job coaching the high school football team in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, but the way it worked out, basketball has become my sport."
From 1935-55, Doolen was 395-96 at Tucson High; he even coached the Badgers to the 1943 state track championship. Unfortunately, Doolen didn’t live to see his son Buddy become a three-sport athlete and a Hall of Fame basketball coach, winning 381 games at Mesa Westwood High School.
The Doolens, father and son, are an easy pick among the top 10 father-son combinations in Tucson sports history. Here’s the list:
- Greg Hansen
In his years at Tucson High, Bill Hassey was a three-time first-team all-state baseball player, a key part of two state title teams. More? He was a first-team All-State basketball player in 1945, started as a freshman baseball outfielder at Arizona, hitting .312 in 1948. He signed with the New York Yankees and played in the minor leagues. A generation later, Ron helped Tucson High win the 1972 state championship and was the biggest bat in the lineup (84 RBIs) as Arizona won its first NCAA baseball championship in 1976. He then played 13 major-league seasons, helping Oakland win the 1989 World Series.
- Greg Hansen
Tough call among the first two on this list. Mark Hardy, an All-WAC tennis player who helped the UA to four consecutive top 10 rankings, won the 1969 state tennis championship at Catalina High School and played on the ATP circuit for about 10 years, playing in both the U.S. Open and the French Open. J.J., a Sabino High School grad, is a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner who now plays shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.
- Greg Hansen
Nothing but big numbers here: Dick coached Sahuaro High School to four basketball state championships and won a then-state record 774 games. Rick led Sahuaro to the 1973 and 1974 state baseball titles, and was an all-city basketball guard who became part of Arizona’s 1976 NCAA baseball championship team. Rick later coached Mesa Westwood High to more than 500 victories.
- Greg Hansen
Fat led Pueblo High to back-to-back state basketball titles in 1977-78, became an All-Pac-10 point guard at Arizona State and a two-time NBA All-Star. Anthony was a 1997 All-State guard at Canyon del Oro, scoring 57 points in a game, and later playing in the rotation for Oregon’s 2002 Pac-10 champions.
- Greg Hansen
Gotta like the coaching chops in the Mayfield family: Ollie coached Tucson High to 1970 and 1971 state football championships, with both teams often mentioned among the top in state history. Todd coached Palo Verde to the 2005 state title after he won 81 games as Tucson High’s head coach.
- Greg Hansen
The elder Howell, a Tucson High grad, set the UA basketball scoring record, 33 points, in 1952. A year earlier, he was a key component to what was then the best basketball team in school history, a 24-6 NCAA tournament team that was ranked as high as No. 12. He also started for two Tucson High state championship teams. Son Jack, a Palo Verde High School and Pima College grad, helped the Aztecs to the 1981 NJCAA World Series, started at third base for the UA in 1982 and then played nine seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres.
- Greg Hansen
Gayle won the 1964 NCAA long-jump championship for Arizona and set school records in the long jump and triple jump. He made the USA Olympic team in Japan. Chris rushed for 2,118 yards and 18 touchdowns at Salpointe Catholic High School in 1991, leading the Lancers to the ’92 state championship game. He later ran for 1,745 yards as a member of Arizona State's football team.
- Greg Hansen
As the Salpointe Catholic basketball coach from 1977-93, Jim’s teams won more than 250 games. He then coached the Lancers to state golf championships in 1981 and 2004. Sean scored 2,332 points at Salpointe, then fourth in state history and No. 2 in Tucson. He scored 1,001 as a starting college forward at the University of San Diego.
