From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Winfrey Sanderson
Winfrey Sanderson
Winfrey Sanderson Million Dollar Band was known as the "Plaid Players",
and many fans came to games wearing plaid in Sander-
Sport(s) Basketball son’s honor.
Biographical details
Born August 8, 1937 (1937-08-08) Early life
Place of birth Florence, Alabama, USA Winfrey Sanderson was named for his uncle, Hayes Win-
frey, who died from kidney problems in his twenties after
Playing career
he blocked a punt in his stomach during a high school
1955–1956 Abilene Christian College football game.
1956–1959 Florence State His father, who worked for an auto parts company,
Coaching career (HC unless noted) died when he was 6, and Sanderson, an only child, shared
an apartment with his mother, Christine, a secretary for
1960–1961 Alabama (grad. assist.) the Veterans Administration. Wimp was more of an ath-
1961–1981 Alabama (assist.)
lete than a student, more Mr. Popular than either. His se-
1981–1992 Alabama
1994–1998 Arkansas–Little Rock nior year in high school, he beat the would-be valedicto-
rian to become class president.[3]
Accomplishments and honors In 1955, Sanderson went to Abilene Christian College
Awards to play basketball. He planned to go into radio and tele-
vision, but flunking Spanish soured his plans. He trans-
National Coach of the Year (1987)
SEC Coach of the Year (1987, 1989, 1990)
ferred home to Florence State (now the University of
North Alabama) and continued his hoops career while
Winfrey "Wimp" Sanderson (born August 8, 1937)[1] is a graduating in physical education. He took a high school
retired American college basketball coach. He coached head coaching job and one year later, in 1959-60, he went
at the University of Alabama from 1981 to 1992 and the to Alabama as a graduate assistant under Hayden Riley
University of Arkansas at Little Rock from 1994 to 1999. for $75 a month. Sanderson figured it was a stepping
Sanderson was born in Florence, Alabama. He stone for a better high school job.[3]
prepped at Coffee High School and graduated from the "When he was hired, Wimp felt a tremendous amount
University of North Alabama in 1959.[2] In 1960 he be- of pressure", said his wife, Annette. "He had his doubters.
came a graduate assistant under Hayden Riley at Alaba- People wondered,`Why did they ever hire Wimp?’"[3]
ma, and in 1961 he was made a full time assistant. He
served in this capacity for 20 years under both Riley and College career
C. M. Newton, eventually becoming Newton’s top assis-
Sanderson played his freshman season of collegiate bas-
tant. When Newton resigned to become assistant com-
ketball at Abilene Christian University before transfer-
missioner of the Southeastern Conference, Sanderson
ring back to Florence State. In three seasons with the
was named his successor. In 11 years as head coach his
Lions, from 1957–1959, he scored 1,076 points and aver-
teams averaged 21.8 wins a year, with a 267-119 record,
aged 14.9 points over his 72 game career. He was named
and they won 4 SEC tournaments. They played in one NIT
team captain as both a junior and a senior and led the
and eight NCAA tournaments making the "Sweet 16" five
Lions in scoring in 1958 with 403 points. His best single-
times. He is only coach in Alabama history to win 200 or
game performance came against Jacksonville State
more games in his first 10 years. He was the Southeastern
University in 1958 when he scored 31 points. Sanderson
Conference Coach of the Year in 1987, 1989 and 1990, and
graduated in 1959.[2]
was the National Coach of the Year in 1987.
Sanderson currently resides in Birmingham, Alaba-
ma. [1] Coaching career
Sanderson was famous for wearing plaid sport jackets
on the sidelines. During his glory years at Alabama, the University of Alabama
Coleman Coliseum was known as the "Plaid Palace" (with
Before he resigned in 1992, Sanderson had been at Alaba-
its midcourt logo painted crimson-and-white plaid), the
ma for a year as a graduate assistant, 20 as an assistant
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Winfrey Sanderson
coach and 11 as head coach. He led the Crimson Tide to 10 everything the right way. It was a sad day in my life. I
NCAA Tournaments and six trips to the Sweet 16. He lived loved the school, but it’s behind me. It’s over."[3]
32 of his 58 years in Tuscaloosa, watching three decades David Hobbs, a former assistant was promoted as
of history pass from one season to another. In 1963, as head coach when Sanderson resigned.[4] Mark Gottfried,
Governor George Wallace stood at the schoolhouse door, a former player under Sanderson, followed Hobbs and
Sanderson, an assistant coach without political convic- coached for 10-1/2 seasons before he was fired on Jan-
tions, watched from a window in a building across the uary 26, 2009.
street, unaware he was privy to history. Six years later,
as Alabama Coach C.M. Newton, now the athletic director
at Kentucky, became the first Southeastern Conference
University of Arkansas at Little
coach to heavily recruit African-Americans (Vanderbilt’s Rock
Perry Wallace was the first African-American to play in
Sanderson resurfaced in 1994 at the University of
the conference, in 1967-68), Sanderson was pounding the
Arkansas at Little Rock, where he would lead the Trojans
recruiting trail, helping to lure players like future All-
to a National Invitation Tournament appearance in
American Wendell Hudson to Tuscaloosa.[3]
1996.[3]
"I have a lot of respect for C.M. and Wimp," says Hud-
son, the first African-American athlete at Alabama and
now the assistant AD at Alabama. "I would talk to a lot of
Awards
guys who came in the league at the same time as I did, • Named SEC Coach of the Decade for the 1980s by the
who didn’t have as easy of a time as I did. There were no Lexington Herald-Leader.[2]
special rules. Everyone was treated equally."[3] • 1987, 1989 and 1990 SEC Coach of the Year[1]
Sanderson’s skills as a recruiter were legend. Enticing • 1987 National Coach of the Year[1]
Robert Horry, Derrick McKey and Latrell Sprewell to • Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in
football-mad Tuscaloosa was unprecedented. In addition 1990[2]
to Sprewell, Horry and McKey, eight other players re- • UNA Alumnus of the Year in 1990
cruited when Sanderson was head coach made it to the
NBA, including James Robinson and David Benoit.[3] Head coaching record
The Fall
Sanderson resigned from Alabama on May 18, 1992, days References
after Nancy Watts, his longtime secretary, filed a sexual
[1] ^ "Wimp Sanderson". Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
discrimination lawsuit against him and the university
http://www.ashof.org/
with the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission. Both San-
index.php?src=directory&view=company&srctype=display&back=
derson and Watts admitted they had had an affair from
Retrieved 2007-02-25.
about 1970 to 1985, but both offered conflicting stories
[2] ^ "Winfrey "Wimp" Sanderson". UNA Athletic Hall of
about what happened on March 17, 1992.[3]
Fame. Archived from the original on 2007-03-17.
Watts said that on that day, two days before Alabama
http://web.archive.org/web/20070317183033/
was to play Stanford in the NCAA Tournament, Sander-
http://www2.una.edu/athletics/
son punched her in the face, giving her a black eye, dur-
Athletic+Hall+of+Fame/wimp_sanderson.htm.
ing an argument. Sanderson said Watts had become hys-
Retrieved 2007-02-25.
terical and that, in an effort to defend himself, he stuck
[3] ^ Harrison, Steve (1996-02-12). "The Color of Plaid".
out his hand. She collided with it, giving her a black eye.
The Sporting News. http://www.encyclopedia.com/
More than a year later. Watts’ lawsuit against Sanderson,
doc/1G1-17932945.html. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
the university and then-athletic director Hootie Ingram,
[4] "Hobbs Gets the Job at Alabama". New York Times.
was settled out of court, days before it was scheduled to
1992-06-13. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/
go to trial. Alabama and Sanderson’s homeowner’s insur-
fullpage.html?res=9E0CE5DE123CF930A25755C0A964958260&n=To
ance policy paid Watts $275,000. Sanderson’s 32-year re-
Retrieved 2007-02-25.
lationship with Alabama, in which he had been a gradu-
ate assistant, assistant coach or head coach for more than
half of the basketball games the school had ever played, External links
was over.[3] • Article on Wimp
"It was a situation where if you’re accused of any- • Article on Alabama resignation
thing, you’re guilty, and that’s not right. I know what • Bio on Wimp
happened," Sanderson says, almost whispering. "I gave
the university 32 years, all I could give them. Tried to do
Persondata
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Winfrey Sanderson
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC/SEC Western) (1980–1992)
1980–1981 Alabama 18–11 10–8 4th NIT 2nd Round
1981–1982 Alabama 24–7 12–6 3rd NCAA Sweet 16
1982–1983 Alabama 20–12 8–10 T–8th NCAA 1st Round
1983–1984 Alabama 18–12 10–8 5th NCAA 1st Round
1984–1985 Alabama 23–10 11–7 T–3rd NCAA Sweet 16
1985–1986 Alabama 24–9 13–5 T–2nd NCAA Sweet 16
1986–1987 Alabama 28–5 16–2 1st NCAA Sweet 16
1987–1988 Alabama 14–17 6–12 T–8th
1988–1989 Alabama 23–8 12–6 T–2nd NCAA 1st Round
1989–1990 Alabama 26–9 12–6 2nd NCAA Sweet 16
1990–1991 Alabama 23–10 12–6 2nd NCAA Sweet 16
1991–1992 Alabama 26–9 10–6 3rd (Western) NCAA 2nd Round
Alabama: 267–119 132–82
Arkansas–Little Rock Trojans (Sun Belt) (1994–1999)
1994–1995 Arkansas–Little Rock 17–12 9–9 T–5th
1995–1996 Arkansas–Little Rock 23–7 14–4 T–1st NIT 1st Round
1996–1997 Arkansas–Little Rock 18–11 11–7 3rd
1997–1998 Arkansas–Little Rock 15–13 10–8 4th
1998–1999 Arkansas–Little Rock 12–15 5–9 T–7th
Arkansas–Litte Rock: 85–58 49–37
Total: 352–177
National Champion Conference Regular Season Champion Conference Tournament Champion
Conference Regular Season & Conference Tournament Champion Conference Division Champion
Name Sanderson, Winfrey Place of birth Florence, Alabama, United States
Alternative names Sanderson, Wimp Date of death
Short description American college basketball coach Place of death
Date of birth August 8, 1937
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Winfrey_Sanderson&oldid=456595400"
Categories:
• 1937 births
• Living people
• Abilene Christian Wildcats men's basketball players
• Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball coaches
• American basketball coaches
• American basketball players
• American members of the Churches of Christ
• Arkansas–Little Rock Trojans men's basketball coaches
• Basketball players from Alabama
• College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
• North Alabama Lions men's basketball players
• People from Florence, Alabama
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Winfrey Sanderson
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