Among the coaches at the University of Oregon, Howard Hobson (July 4, 1903 – June 9, 1991) ranks as one of the greatest for his pioneering style and for leading the 1939 “Tall Firs” to the inaugural NCAA men’s basketball championship.
Born in 1903, Hobson grew up in Portland and graduated from Franklin High, having led the school to the state basketball title in 1921. He attended the University of Oregon and played for the Ducks for three seasons, graduating in 1926.
Hobson moved into coaching almost immediately, starting with the basketball team at Kelso High in Washington. He took over the program at Portland’s Benson High in 1930 and led the Techmen to the state semifinals in 1931 and ’32.
Following the 1932 tournament, Hobson moved to Southern Oregon State Normal School (now University) where his teams were 56-13 in three seasons. After taking the Raiders to the national AAU tournament in 1935, he accepted the head position at Oregon. Hobson immediately recruited Astoria coach John Warren as an assistant and the two loaded their roster with in-state players, including the top players from Astoria’s 1935 state championship team.
In addition to basketball, Hobson also coached the Oregon baseball team. On the court, Hobson developed a fast-paced style in the era of the center jump, which followed every basket. When the center jump was eliminated in 1937, Oregon had an immediate edge over its opposition.
Hobson prepared the Ducks for a run at the first NCAA title by organizing an East Coast trip early in the 1938-39 season. The trip was a first for teams from the West Coast and Oregon went 6-2. Oregon won the Pacific Coast Conference title and advanced to the West Region tournament, where they beat Texas and Oklahoma to advance to the title game at Northwestern University in Chicago. The Ducks beat Ohio State 46-33 before a crowd of 5,000 to win the NCAA title.
Hobson guided the program through 1944 before handing it over to Warren. He left to coach Yale following the 1947 baseball season and guided the school through 1956. He coached Yale to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1949.
Hobson retired in 1956 with a record of 495-291 in 27 seasons as basketball coach. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Basketball Committee for 12 years and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1965.
Hobson was part of the inaugural class of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame.