 Lewis in 1948 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 6, 1921 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 27, 1994 (aged 73) Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | James Madison (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College |
|
| Playing career | 1945–1952 |
| Position | Forward / guard |
| Number | 20, 5, 11 |
| Coaching career | 1947–1985 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1945–1948 | Sheboygan Redskins |
| 1947–1948 | Birmingham Skyhawks |
| 1947–1948 | Indianapolis Kautskys |
| 1948 | Indianapolis Jets |
| 1948–1949 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1949–1950 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1949–1950 | Hartford Hurricanes |
| 1951–1952 | Washington Capitols |
| As coach: | |
| 1947–1948 | Birmingham Skyhawks |
| 1957–1962 | Southern Miss |
| 1962–1968 | Syracuse |
| 1984–1985 | Sacramento State |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Frederick Bott Lewis Jr. (January 6, 1921 – December 27, 1994) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was the head basketball coach at Syracuse University from 1962 to 1968. He compiled a 91-57 (.615) record during his tenure. He took his team to the National Invitation Tournament two years after the team finished the season with a record of 2-22. Prior to coaching at Syracuse, he coached at Southern Mississippi University, where he compiled an 89-38 record. He coached at Amityville High School, where he compiled a 63-40 record from 1950 to 1953.
One of his teams almost became the first team in NCAA history to average 100 or more points per game. Lewis's 1965-66 team, led by Dave Bing, participated in the NCAA Tournament and won against Davidson College in the first round before Syracuse lost to Duke University. He was replaced by Roy Danforth. He died in Sacramento, California, in 1994.[1]