Justin M. "Sam" Barry

Coach extraordinaire, Sam Barry knew how to mold young athletes into champions. After a four-year stint at Knox College, Sam coached at the University of Iowa for seven seasons, leading the Hawkeyes to the 1923 Big Ten championship. He then headed west to coach at USC for 18 years, leading the Trojans to Pacific Coast Conference championships in 1930, 1935, and 1940. Under Barry, USC won the Southern Division seven times and finished third in the 1940 NCAA Tournament. Barry’s teams won over 350 games during his career. Nationally renowned as an innovator, Barry was a leading advocate of the 10-second rule, the creation of the center line, and the elimination of the center jump after each basket, all of which contributed to a more up tempo game. Barry is also recognized as the initial proponent of the triangle offense. A natural-born coach, Barry coached future coaching greats Alex Hannum, Bill Sharman, and Tex Winter, and his legacy at the University of Iowa and the University of Southern California remains strong today.