Branch McCracken (June 9, 1908 – June 4, 1970) was a hall of fame college men's basketball coach at Indiana University.

As a player at Indiana, the McCracken was a three-year letter winner. At 6-4 and 200 lb (91 kg), McCracken played center, forward and guard, pacing the Hoosiers in scoring for three years. His coach and predecessor, Hall of Fame coach Everett Dean, called McCracken "rough and tough."^[1] McCracken never missed a game. Once, when slowed by injuries, he planted himself near the foul line, back to the basket, from there passing off to players cutting by him or keeping the ball and rolling to the basket himself. "Once we saw what he could do, we let him go," Dean said. "He was one of the first college centers who played the pivot the way it's played today."^[1]

McCracken scored 32.3 percent of the points his three Hoosier teams scored. He led the Big Ten Conference with a 12.3 average his senior year and graduated as the league's career scoring record holder.

McCracken was a consensus All-American in 1930. Upon his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1930, he was the first man ever voted there for his performance as an Indiana player.

After his college career, McCracken played professional basketball for a few local and barnstorming teams, most notably the Indianapolis Kautskys with John Wooden and Frank Beard. This was often done while he was also coaching or working at another job and involved long car trips.

McCracken was the head coach for Ball State University from 1930–38) and compiled a 93-41 record. He led Ball State to the school's only victory over Indiana in school history in a year the Cardinals went 17-4.

In 1938 McCracken succeeded Everett Dean and coached Indiana University. His teams were known as the "Hurrying Hoosiers" because of McCracken's emphasis on the fast break. During his two spans at Indiana from 1938-1943 and 1946-1965 he compiled a 364-174 record. During the intermission from 1943 to 1946, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy, in World War II.

At Indiana McCracken coached two NCAA Championship teams in 1940 and 1953. His championship in the 1940 season put him in the record books as the youngest coach to win the NCAA championship (31 years old).

In 1948, McCracken was responsible for recruiting Bill Garrett who became the first African American player in Big Ten Conference varsity basketball history.

McCracken was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1960. He was also honored by Monrovia Jr.-Sr. High School when his name was given to the main gymnasium. Indiana's court at Assembly Hall is also named for him.

• Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
• NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coaches

• Branch McCracken entry in Naismith Memorial BBall Hall of fame
• Branch McCracken entry in Indiana Basketball Hall of fame

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