A group of former Texas Southern basketball student-athletes have begun the steps of the establishment of an endowed scholarship in the name of the late hall of fame basketball coach Robert Moreland.
The Coach Robert Moreland Memorial Endowed Scholarship will benefit the student-athletes and the needs of the Texas Southern basketball programs for generations to come. Former basketball student-athletes are asked to donate a minimum of $100 towards the scholarship. Non-basketball student-athletes wishing to contribute to the scholarship fund are also welcomed to donate as a supporter.
“Coach Moreland played a pivotal role in changing the lives of numerous student-athletes over the course of his storied career both on-and-off the basketball court,” said Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger. “Having a scholarship named in his honor will continue the legacy he created at Texas Southern and keep his memory alive.”
The all-time winningest head coach in TSU history with 406 wins, Moreland served as TSU’s head men’s basketball coach from 1975-2001 in addition to a one-year stint during the 2007-08 campaign.
A SWAC Hall of Famer and recently named TSU Hall of Famer, Moreland guided TSU to six 20-win seasons, one 30-win season, five SWAC conference championships, two SWAC co-championships and three conference tournament championships. He also won five SWAC Coach of the Year honors and was named American Wire Service 1994 National Coach of the Year and was crowned the 1994 and 1995 American Wire Service National Black College Champion. He also coached three national scoring champions while also recruiting a plethora of all-time greats in TSU basketball history as the all-time TSU career leaders in scoring, three-pointers, steals, assists, rebounds and blocked shots were recruited by Moreland.
Moreland, a native of Utica, Miss., led TSU to the highest of heights on the hardwood as he won a NAIA National Championship in 1977 and led TSU to its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1990 along with two other tournament appearances in 1994 and 1995.
Moreland started his coaching career at Greer High School in Carthage, Miss., where he coached from 1962 to 1963. The following year he moved to Utica Junior College in Utica, Miss. and made an immediate impact as he won 78 percent of his games over a 12-year period which saw him win 20-plus games during a 10-year stretch.
Moreland recently passed in late July.
Courtesy: TSUSports.com