Ray Mears gets a celebratory ride

Springfield, Ohio — Ray Mears, the man credited with bringing Wittenberg men's basketball into national prominence, has passed away at the age of 80.

Also the winningest coach in University of Tennessee men's basketball history, Mears passed away at NHC Health Care Center in Knoxville, Tenn. Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced by Rose Mortuary-Mann Heritage Chapel.

A native of Dover, Ohio, and a 1949 graduate of Miami University, Mears took the reins of Wittenberg's struggling program in 1956 and immediately turned the Tigers into the small college powerhouse of today. In his six years in Springfield, Mears compiled a 121-23 record, good for an astounding .840 winning percentage. His teams captured three Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular season titles, three OAC Tournament titles and the 1961 NCAA College Division crown, and his Tiger teams were the No. 1 ranked defensive team in the nation four times.

His arrival on the Wittenberg sidelines set the stage for a winning run that now numbers more than 50 years. The Tigers have not suffered a losing season since Mears arrived on campus, and today the program ranks No. 1 in NCAA Division III history for total wins, winning percentage, national tournament appearances, tournament wins and Final Four appearances.

Mears left Wittenberg in 1963 to become head coach at the University of Tennessee. He led the Volunteers to seven national tournament appearances and three Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles, and Mears was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1967. He had a 14-year record of 278-112 at Tennessee and his overall collegiate coaching record was 399-135, good for a .747 winning percentage, which ranks 17th in NCAA history.

Mears, a 1987 Wittenberg Athletics Hall of Honor inductee, later served as director of athletics at the University of Tennessee-Martin from 1980-90. He also was the recipient of the 1996 Golden Anniversary Award, given by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to a coach who has demonstrated 50 years of outstanding service to the game of basketball.

Mears earned his master's degree at Kent State University while starting his coaching career at the high school level in nearby Cleveland. Mears and his wife, the former Dana Davis, have three sons: Steve, Mike and Matt.

Funeral Arrangements For Ray Mears Announced The funeral service for former Wittenberg University and University of Tennessee men's basketball coach Ray Mears will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at West Hills Baptist Church (409 North Winston Road). The family will receive friends immediately following the service. The interment will be at 11 a.m. Friday, June 15, at Highland Memorial Cemetery on Sutherland Ave. Those wishing to attend the interment should meet at the cemetery at 10:45 a.m. The family is requesting that memorials be made to the Ray and Dana Mears Athletic Scholarship Endowment, Volunteer Athletic Scholarship Fund, PO Box 15016, Knoxville, TN 37901. -- Courtesy of University of Tennessee Sports Information

Related Links: Wittenberg Men's Basketball Home Page