Wisconsin Badgers

Meanwell was a native of Leeds, England, who earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins. He came to UW to study for a doctorate in public health and to coach wrestling. But when the basketball coach resigned in 1911, Meanwell was asked to take that job. With the exception of two years at Missouri, he coached at Wisconsin for 20 years (1911-34) and earned a 246-99 (.712) career record.

In his first three years as coach, the Badgers won 35 of 36 Big Ten games. His teams went on to win 71 percent of their games and earn eight shared or outright Big Ten championships.

Meanwell's teams were known for a disciplined, passing style of play which featured short passes and a tight zone defense. The "Meanwell System" he devised utilized the footwork from his background in boxing and wrestling. It focused on finesse and offensive strategy. His famous "criss-cross, pivot and pass" offense utilized all five players and featured short passes, the revolutionary criss-cross and weave, pivots in motion and setting screens for the shooter.

He also used what he called a "line defense," which resembled the 3-2 zone that is used to counter an opponent's fast break. Because of his medical background, he was also one of the first coaches to focus on physical fitness in sports training and was an early adoptee of sports medicine techniques.

Meanwell also served as athletic director at UW (1933-35) and, after he retired from coaching in 1934, later practiced medicine in Madison until his death in 1953.

In 1959, he was a member of the inaugural class of three coaches to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (along with Forrest C. "Phog" Allen of Kansas and Henry Clifford Carlson of Pittsburgh).

DR. WALTER MEANWELL: Basketball - 1911-34

• The Leeds, England, native came to Wisconsin in 1911 as Director of the Gymnasium
• Became the head men's basketball coach in 1911 and led his squad to three straight Big Ten championships and an overall record of 44-1
• Recorded an impressive 246-99 (.712) record in 20 seasons on the UW bench
• Coached Wisconsin to eight outright or shared Big Ten championships
• His 1912 and 1914 Badgers were both 15-0, the only two undefeated seasons in UW history
• Left UW in 1917 to serve in World War I, but returned to Madison to resume his coaching career in 1920-21 (after coaching at the University of Missouri for two years with a 34-2 record)
• Credited with launching modern basketball's emphasis on finesse and offensive strategy and developed the famous "criss-cross, pivot and pass" offense
• Named to the inaugural class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1959), the charter class of the Wisconsin State Athletic Hall of Fame (1991) and the Madison Pen and Mike-Bowman Sports Foundation Hall of Fame
• Nicknamed the "Little Doctor" for his 5'6" frame

Wisconsin Head Coaching Record