University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Mourn Passing of John Kundla
7/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The University of Minnesota joins with the basketball community and his family in mourning the loss of former Gophers player and coach John Kundla. The Minneapolis native and Hall of Famer passed away at the age of 101 on Sunday.
Kundla became a part of Gophers basketball in 1936 where he earned three letters playing for the Maroon and Gold. He served as an assistant coach at the U before entering the Navy during World War II. Following the war, he coached at St. Thomas before signing on as the head coach of the Minneapolis Lakers, winning five NBA titles in six seasons. When the franchise relocated to Los Angeles, Kundla stayed behind and took over at his alma mater.
As head coach of the Gophers, Kundla led Minnesota to a 110-105 record in nine seasons from 1959-68, including a 67-52 mark in Big Ten play. His .532 winning percentage in conference ranks as the third best among all-time Gopher head coaches.
He was voted among the 10 greatest head coaches in the NBA in 1996, one year after his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Prior to his passing, Kundla was the oldest living Basketball Hall of Famer.
More coverage from Kundla's passing can be found at the links below.
Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/john-kundla-former-minneapolis-lakers-coach-and-basketball-hall-of-famer-dies-at-101/436178233/
Pioneer Press: http://www.twincities.com/2017/07/23/legendary-gophers-and-lakers-coach-john-kundla-passes-away-at-101/
New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/23/sports/basketball/john-kundla-coach-of-fledgling-lakers-dies.html
Associated Press: https://apnews.com/a1bf0303e4c04299962f3877e17cd927/Basketball-Hall-of-Famer-John-Kundla-dies-at-101
Statement from the Los Angeles Lakers: http://www.nba.com/lakers/releases/170723kundla-passing/
KSTP Interview with John Kundla in 2010: http://kstp.com/sports/john-kundla-dies-hall-of-fame-minneapolis-lakers-coach-nba/4550527/?cat=7
