Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
Former WVU Hoop Assistant, Fundraiser McPherson Dies
December 06, 2018 10:45 AM | Men's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Twenty-year West Virginia University men's basketball assistant coach Gary McPherson died Wednesday evening, according to a Facebook post made by his daughter, Missy.
McPherson's affiliation with West Virginia University spanned 40 years until his retirement in 2013.
The Cass, West Virginia, native and Green Bank High athletic standout attended Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, on a football scholarship.
McPherson's first coaching job was at Bluestone High in Skipwith, Virginia, before he assumed the Ferrum Junior College head coaching position in 1961.
Two years later, he joined Weenie Miller's VMI men's basketball staff and the duo led the Keydets to a stunning 82-81 upset of 10th-ranked Davidson in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament on the way to the 1964 Southern Conference championship.
VMI's game against Princeton in the 1964 NCAA Tournament was one of just three NCAA Tournament appearances in school history for the Keydets.
"People didn't realize the requirements we had at VMI," McPherson once recalled. "When I first began coaching there, we had a height limit of 6-6, and I couldn't recruit anybody taller than that.
"Also, at the time, everyone who went to VMI was automatically signed up for two years of military service," he mentioned.
A year later, McPherson was named VMI's head coach (at age 27), and he led the Keydets for five seasons until his dismissal in 1969.
Among his most notable victories was a Jan. 15, 1969 upset of West Virginia at the old Field House. McPherson's Keydets had nearly knocked off Bucky Waters' Mountaineers a week earlier in Beckley.
"(Famous official) Red Mihalik was on the game and calls a technical foul on my guy going for a loose ball," McPherson said. "I'm looking for Red to call a jump ball and instead he calls a technical on my guy. That put West Virginia on the line, and they also got the ball, and that's how they won the game down in Beckley."
When McPherson beat West Virginia 87-84 a week later in Morgantown, the young coach nearly blew his team's entire travel budget for the year by celebrating afterward at the old Flame Restaurant downtown.
"I even took our guys to Chico's for a big sundae afterward," McPherson chuckled. "When I got back to the Hotel Morgan, I had a bunch of telephone messages waiting for me at the front desk."
McPherson joined Sonny Moran's West Virginia staff in 1970 and was his top assistant until Moran's dismissal following the 1974 season.
Brief coaching tenures at Cincinnati and Alderson Broaddus preceded McPherson's second coaching stint with the Mountaineers as a member of Gale Catlett's staff, beginning in 1978.
McPherson spent 15 seasons sitting on the bench next to Catlett, helping WVU to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1992 before hanging up his whistle for good in 1993.
After giving up basketball, McPherson worked in fundraising for the Mountaineer Athletic Club until his retirement from the University in 2013.
During his tenure under Catlett, McPherson was considered an underrated recruiter who brought standout Mountaineer players Dale Blaney and Darryl Prue, among many others, to Morgantown. "Coach Mac" also recruited guard Bob Huggins when he worked for Moran.
McPherson was a regular at West Virginia University men's basketball games until declining health limited him to just occasional visits in recent years.
In 2012, West Virginia University and VMI recognized McPherson's outstanding service at both institutions during a brief on-court presentation before the Mountaineers' game at the Coliseum against the Keydets.
McPherson is survived by wife, Peggy, and daughter, Missy. He was preceded in death by son, Chris, a former Mountaineer basketball manager, who died in 2017.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
McPherson's affiliation with West Virginia University spanned 40 years until his retirement in 2013.
The Cass, West Virginia, native and Green Bank High athletic standout attended Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, on a football scholarship.
McPherson's first coaching job was at Bluestone High in Skipwith, Virginia, before he assumed the Ferrum Junior College head coaching position in 1961.
Two years later, he joined Weenie Miller's VMI men's basketball staff and the duo led the Keydets to a stunning 82-81 upset of 10th-ranked Davidson in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament on the way to the 1964 Southern Conference championship.
VMI's game against Princeton in the 1964 NCAA Tournament was one of just three NCAA Tournament appearances in school history for the Keydets.
"People didn't realize the requirements we had at VMI," McPherson once recalled. "When I first began coaching there, we had a height limit of 6-6, and I couldn't recruit anybody taller than that.
"Also, at the time, everyone who went to VMI was automatically signed up for two years of military service," he mentioned.
A year later, McPherson was named VMI's head coach (at age 27), and he led the Keydets for five seasons until his dismissal in 1969.
Among his most notable victories was a Jan. 15, 1969 upset of West Virginia at the old Field House. McPherson's Keydets had nearly knocked off Bucky Waters' Mountaineers a week earlier in Beckley.
"(Famous official) Red Mihalik was on the game and calls a technical foul on my guy going for a loose ball," McPherson said. "I'm looking for Red to call a jump ball and instead he calls a technical on my guy. That put West Virginia on the line, and they also got the ball, and that's how they won the game down in Beckley."
When McPherson beat West Virginia 87-84 a week later in Morgantown, the young coach nearly blew his team's entire travel budget for the year by celebrating afterward at the old Flame Restaurant downtown.
"I even took our guys to Chico's for a big sundae afterward," McPherson chuckled. "When I got back to the Hotel Morgan, I had a bunch of telephone messages waiting for me at the front desk."
McPherson joined Sonny Moran's West Virginia staff in 1970 and was his top assistant until Moran's dismissal following the 1974 season.
Brief coaching tenures at Cincinnati and Alderson Broaddus preceded McPherson's second coaching stint with the Mountaineers as a member of Gale Catlett's staff, beginning in 1978.
McPherson spent 15 seasons sitting on the bench next to Catlett, helping WVU to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1992 before hanging up his whistle for good in 1993.
After giving up basketball, McPherson worked in fundraising for the Mountaineer Athletic Club until his retirement from the University in 2013.
During his tenure under Catlett, McPherson was considered an underrated recruiter who brought standout Mountaineer players Dale Blaney and Darryl Prue, among many others, to Morgantown. "Coach Mac" also recruited guard Bob Huggins when he worked for Moran.
McPherson was a regular at West Virginia University men's basketball games until declining health limited him to just occasional visits in recent years.
In 2012, West Virginia University and VMI recognized McPherson's outstanding service at both institutions during a brief on-court presentation before the Mountaineers' game at the Coliseum against the Keydets.
McPherson is survived by wife, Peggy, and daughter, Missy. He was preceded in death by son, Chris, a former Mountaineer basketball manager, who died in 2017.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
TV Highlights: WVU 73, Campbell 65
Friday, November 07
Ross Hodge | Campbell Postgame
Thursday, November 06
Honor Huff, Treysen Eaglestaff & Brenen Lorient | Campbell Postgame
Thursday, November 06
TV Highlights: WVU 70, Mount St. Mary's 54
Wednesday, November 05
