Cliff Barker
Indianapolis Olympians Player-Coach | NBA Coach | Kentucky Wildcats Player
Cliff Barker was born on January 15, 1921, in Yorktown, Indiana. He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky before joining the Indianapolis Olympians.
Barker served as a player and head coach for the Olympians during the franchise’s first two NBA seasons.
He finished his NBA head coaching career with a 63-57 regular-season record and a 3-3 playoff record.
Coach Barker passed away on March 17, 1998, at the age of 77.
- Overall Coaching Record: 63-57
Coaching Career
Cliff Barker became the first head coach of the Indianapolis Olympians when the franchise entered the NBA for the 1949-1950 season.
Indianapolis finished Barker’s first season with a 39-25 record and placed first in the Western Division. The Olympians defeated the Sheboygan Red Skins 2-1 in the Division Semifinals before losing to the Anderson Packers 2-1 in the Division Finals.
Barker returned for the 1950-1951 season and went 24-32 before resigning as head coach on February 22, 1951. Wah Wah Jones took over the team for the remainder of the season.
Barker finished his NBA head coaching career with a 63-57 regular-season record and a 3-3 playoff record.
Notable Players Coached
- Alex Groza
- 2× All-NBA First Team
- 1951 NBA All-Star
- 1949-1950 Rookie of the Year
- Ralph Beard
- 2× All-NBA selection
- 1951 NBA All-Star