UT MARTIN MOURNS THE PASSING OF HALL OF FAME HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH CAL LUTHER
5/8/2021 7:35:00 PM | General, Men's Basketball
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin is saddened to announce the passing of Hall of Fame men's basketball coach Cal Luther. He was 93 years old.
While Luther enjoyed a long and decorated coaching career which featured head coaching positions at five different institutions, it was his nine-year stint at UT Martin which built the foundation for future success within the program. Tabbed by UT Martin athletics director Don McLeary to guide the program through the NCAA Division-I re-classification process, Luther had more than 30 years of coaching experience.
After rebuilding DePauw (Ind.) to an Indiana Collegiate Conference championship, Luther moved on to Ohio Valley Conference member Murray State, where he was credited for laying the groundwork of a budding dynasty. At Murray State, Luther led the Racers to three OVC titles, was named OVC Coach of the Year three times, and earned a spot in the school's athletics Hall of Fame after leading the team to two NCAA Tournaments. From Murray State, Luther went to Longwood in Virginia, where he led a former all-girls school to a transition from Division-III to Division-II, earning five winning seasons and a 20-7 record in 1988-89.
At UT Martin, Luther guided the team into the OVC and made the change from the Pacers nickname to Skyhawks. While the team scheduled the toughest opponents for most of Luther's tenure to keep up with Division-I budget restraints, his teams still found success - earning OVC Coach of the Year in 1996 after his program earned its first OVC winning season. With his third individual honor he became the only coach to win Coach of the Year honors at two different OVC institutions.
Luther was inducted into OVC Hall of Fame in 2000 before joining the UT Martin Athletics Hall of Fame as a pioneer in 2017.
While Luther enjoyed a long and decorated coaching career which featured head coaching positions at five different institutions, it was his nine-year stint at UT Martin which built the foundation for future success within the program. Tabbed by UT Martin athletics director Don McLeary to guide the program through the NCAA Division-I re-classification process, Luther had more than 30 years of coaching experience.
After rebuilding DePauw (Ind.) to an Indiana Collegiate Conference championship, Luther moved on to Ohio Valley Conference member Murray State, where he was credited for laying the groundwork of a budding dynasty. At Murray State, Luther led the Racers to three OVC titles, was named OVC Coach of the Year three times, and earned a spot in the school's athletics Hall of Fame after leading the team to two NCAA Tournaments. From Murray State, Luther went to Longwood in Virginia, where he led a former all-girls school to a transition from Division-III to Division-II, earning five winning seasons and a 20-7 record in 1988-89.
At UT Martin, Luther guided the team into the OVC and made the change from the Pacers nickname to Skyhawks. While the team scheduled the toughest opponents for most of Luther's tenure to keep up with Division-I budget restraints, his teams still found success - earning OVC Coach of the Year in 1996 after his program earned its first OVC winning season. With his third individual honor he became the only coach to win Coach of the Year honors at two different OVC institutions.
Luther was inducted into OVC Hall of Fame in 2000 before joining the UT Martin Athletics Hall of Fame as a pioneer in 2017.
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 5
Tuesday, September 23
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 4
Tuesday, September 16
FB: Southern Illinois Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, September 14
2025 UT Martin Athletics Hall of Fame Induction
Sunday, September 14