Year Inducted: 1978
Nominated By: Ken Coatney
Sports Competed In: Basketball, Football
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete, Coach
Achievements:
Before High School:
Attended Thatcher Elementary School - City Champions all-team sports.
High School:
Attended Pueblo Centennial (1940).
Achievements:
High School:
Basketball:
● State Champions 1940 - Captain of the team.
● Selected 1st Team All-State forward.
● Selected as the top high school basketball player by The Denver Post in the 1940.
● "Outstanding Athletes" of high school, college and A.A.U.
Football:
● Runner-up to state champions in 1939.
● Selected 1st Team All-State end.
Track:
Represented Centennial in the state track meet.
College:
Oklahoma State University (1951)...Attended InterAmerican University in Mexico (1951), Oklahoma University; West Virginia University.; Middlebury College and Mexico University (1961).
Achievements:
College:
● Lettered at Indiana University during his freshman year.
● Transferred to Oklahoma State University after meeting Hank Iba.
● Played in NCAA Tournaments and defeated Adolf Rupp's Kentucky "Fabulous Five" in the Sugar Bowl Classic.
● Held All-American Ralph Beard to three points.
Related Activities:
● Member of City Softball Champions during the summer recreation program.
● Member of state runner-up team in baseball.
● Pitched a no-hit, no-run game in both softball and baseball.
● City Champion horseshoe pitcher as an 18 year-old and under.
Achievements:
A.A.U. Basketball:
● Played for and helped coach Halliburton Oil Well Company.
● Men's State A.A.U. Champions.
● Selected to 1st All-Tournament team and "Most Valuable Player Award".
● Received the "Sportsmanship Award".
Achievements:
Military (U.S. Coast Guard):
● Pacific Area Basketball Champions for three years.
● All-Pacific Forward (played with Jim Pollard, Stanford All-American who is in the National Hall of Fame...Played against Joe Fulks, Illinois All-American.
● Received the “Most Versatile Player” Award in the Pacific Area.
Coaching Career:
During 17 years, recorded a career record of 340-109, which includes junior high, high school and college.
● State A.A.U. Champions while coaching Stillwater Junior High.
● Reached the finals of High School Regional (three years).
● League "Coach of the Year", while coaching Lebanon, Oregon High School.
● Began women's basketball program as a way to recruit students for Phillips University.
● First Year won Region IV Championship of large and small colleges (Region IV includes Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas).
● Placed fifth in Nationals.
● Women's State A.A.U. Champions (three consecutive years).
● Fillies won National Championship 1975 with eight freshman, one sophomore, one junior and a senior.
● Upon leaving coaching, these same girls won 2nd and 3rd places (respectively) in the Small College Nationals in 1976 & 1977.
Quotes:
"Many local resident probably watched ‘Biography - Hank Iba’ on television Tuesday night. If so, and you knew LOU AMAY, when he was teaching here… you must have beamed a little when he was mentioned. In case you didn't see the program MR. IBA stated, ‘Lou Amaya had one of the finest pairs of hands I ever saw.’ Lou probably is not back down to earth yet!”
-- An article "Readables" written by Mazie Cox.
Occupation:
Coach at Philips University in Enid, OK.
Personal:
Lived in Hennessey, OK...Was married to Pat Whitlock..Passed away on April 14, 1999 from Parkinson's Disease.
