Albersheim's 2014 Winter Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/20/2014
In 1952, under the guidance of legendary HOF basketball coach, Phog Allen; the Kansas Jayhawks won the national title with a 80–63 victory in the final game over St. John's. Dick Harp was Phog Allen’s assistant coach. Although, Kansas was already on the map as a basketball power, Allen managed to bring Wilt the Stilt out to Lawrence for a visit his basketball factory. With a little prodding from Wilt’s high school coach, Cecil Mosenson (who was offered a position as an assistant coach if he could deliver Wilt to the Jayhawks – this promise was never fulfilled by KU), Wilt ended up on the Kansas campus in 1955. In 1956, Coach Allen was forced into mandatory retirement (KU regulation was that all employees had to retire by the age of 70) and the program was taken over by Phog’s protégé and former KU star player, Dick Harp. Harp had played basketball at KU, lettering from 1938–1940 and was one of the starting guards on the 1940 team that lost to Indiana University in the NCAA finals. In 8 seasons (1956-64) Harp compiled a 121-82 record in those eight seasons and led the Jayhawks to two conference titles (one Big Seven, one Big Eight Conference) and two NCAA tournament berths. In 1957, the Jayhawks captured the Midwest Regional and made it to the finals, only to be stopped by the University of North Carolina in a memorable 54-53 loss in triple overtime in Kansas City, Mo. Harp is one of only five people to have played and coached in an NCAA title game. He served as an assistant coach at North Carolina for Dean Smith from 1986-1989. Dick Harp by Dean Smith – According to Dean Smith, the legendary U of North Carolina (think Michael Jordan) basketball coach and one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history, “Dick [Harp] is one of the most brilliant basketball minds I have ever known.” Harp, who remains one of a handful of men to both coach and play in an NCAA basketball tournament championship game, spent nearly three decades of his life connected to the tradition-rich basketball program at KU. Dick Harp became the Jayhawks' assistant basketball coach under Phog Allen from 1948-56, taking over the program upon Allen's forced retirement in 1956.
This was Harp's jacket that he wore as a coach for the Jayhawks (the equivalent to a jersey for a player). Inside the rear collar is the "LAM-MAR" manufacturer's tag with attached size "42" flag tag. At the left chest is "Coach Harp" embroidered in red chain stitch. The inner linking shows some separation and tearing at the rear inner collar. There is some staining on front. The jacket is properly tagged.
COA from son of Dick Harp and a Letter of Authenticity from Richard Albersheim