Ken Loeffler
St. Louis Bombers Head Coach | Providence Steamrollers Head Coach | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Ken Loeffler was born on April 14, 1902, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He built a long coaching career in college and professional basketball before becoming one of the first head coaches in the Basketball Association of America.
Loeffler coached the St. Louis Bombers during the first 2 BAA seasons before spending the 1948-1949 season with the Providence Steamrollers.
After leaving the BAA, Loeffler became best known for his success at La Salle University, where he won the 1954 NCAA championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1964.
Coach Loeffler passed away on January 1, 1975, at the age of 72.
- Overall Coaching Record: 79-90
Coaching Career
Ken Loeffler became the first head coach of the St. Louis Bombers when the BAA began play in 1946.
The Bombers went 38-23 in 1946-1947 and finished second in the Western Division. St. Louis reached the playoffs but lost to the Philadelphia Warriors in 3 games in the quarterfinals.
St. Louis improved to a first-place finish in the Western Division in 1947-1948 with a 29-19 record. The Bombers pushed the Philadelphia Warriors to 7 games before losing in the BAA Semifinals.
Loeffler resigned as head coach of the Bombers on April 27, 1948, finishing his two seasons in St. Louis with a 67-42 regular-season record.
Notable Players Coached
- John Logan
- 4× NBA All-Star
- 3× All-BAA/NBA selection
- Red Rocha
- 2× NBA All-Star
- Future Detroit Pistons head coach
Loeffler became head coach of the Providence Steamrollers for the 1948-1949 BAA season.
Providence finished with a 12-48 record and placed sixth in the Eastern Division, missing the playoffs.
The season became the final year of the Providence Steamrollers franchise and Loeffler’s final season as a BAA head coach.
Loeffler finished his BAA head coaching career with a 79-90 regular-season record and a 4-6 playoff record.
Notable Players Coached
- Kenny Sailors
- 1943 NCAA champion
- 1943 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player