Hall of Fame
Ron Shumate was not only the 12th Chattanooga men’s basketball coach, he also ushered in the NCAA Division era at UTC. His tenure spanned seven seasons and marked the Mocs first move into national prominence.
Shumate’s squads reached unprecedented heights during the final seasons of Division II competition. Those five seasons saw him win 19 or more games and stand atop the level. UTC won the 1977 DII National Championship in its last campaign before the DI era.
Overall, Shumate was 139-61 over those seven years. His 139 wins rank third all-time at Chattanooga and his .695 winning percentage is second only to Murray Arnold.
His teams competed in the NCAA DII Tournament four times winning it once and finishing as runner-up in 1976. They first emerged as No. 1 in the country in 1974 sitting atop the rankings mid-season. He was National Coach of the Year in 1977.
The student-athletes he drew to the program are among the hallowed names in school history. Wayne Golden, William Gordon, Walter “Moose” McGary, Gary Stitch and Herbert “Book” McCray are just a few that made an impact on the court and in the Chattanooga community. McGary, Gordon and Golden were all NBA Draft selections with McGary getting tabbed twice and once in the ABA.
During Shumate’s reign UTC won 16 games against DI programs including Dayton (3-1), ETSU (2-0), The Citadel (1-0), Louisville (0-1), Middle Tennessee (5-2), Southern Miss (2-0) and Tennessee Tech (3-1).
Shumate was 445-232 in 23 collegiate seasons. He amassed a record of 306-171 in 16 years at SE Missouri (1981-97). He had nine 20-win seasons, eight NCAA DII Tourney appearances finishing as runner-up twice. He led both Chattanooga and SEMO in transition from DII to DI in his stints at both schools.
