John Powless, UW men's basketball coach for eight seasons and a remarkable tennis player, dies at age 88

MADISON – John Powless, who coached the University of Wisconsin’s men’s basketball team for eight seasons and went on to become one of the better senior tennis players in the world, died Thursday.

Powless, who had been ill, was 88.

The Illinois native compiled a 42-78 Big Ten record and an overall mark of 88-108 at UW from 1968 through 1976.

His best season came in 1973-1974, when UW tied for fourth in the Big Ten at 8-6 and finished 16-8 overall.

Powless opened the John Powless Tennis Center on the west side of Madison more than four decades ago.

He won many U.S. and international tennis competitions, including the 1999 U.S. Senior Open singles title and was inducted into the United States Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000.

Powless rose to the No. 1 ranking according to the International Tennis Federation in three categories, 75 and older, 80 and older, and 85 and older. He was ranked No. 1 among players 85 and older in 2018.

Born in Flora, Illinois, Powless played basketball, football and tennis for Flora High School. He signed to play basketball at Michigan and also planned to play tennis but after one semester he transferred to Murray State and played both sports for the Racers.

Powless, one of five charter members in the Murray State Hall of Fame, did not lose a tennis match in three years on the varsity. He was the Ohio Valley Conference singles champion all three seasons and was also on the school’s conference doubles championship team each season.

He later served for six years as captain and coach of the United States Junior Davis Cup team.

Powless came to UW as an assistant coach under John Erickson in the spring of 1963.

Erickson resigned after the 1967-68 season and Powless was named head coach April 27, 1968, the same day Bob Knight, then the head coach at Army, turned down UW’s offer.