March 4, 2003

By John Dodderidge

In 43 years as a basketball coach, Sonny Allen coached at nearly every level. He started out as a high school coach in 1959, coached in the collegiate ranks for 27 years and ended his career as a professional women's head coach in 2001.

Allen retired four games short of coaching 1,000 games. His teams won more than 60 percent of their games, highlighted by a college championship in 1975 and a professional title in 1988. He was also named coach of the year on both the college and pro level.

"I enjoyed it, but after 43 years it was time to hang it up," said Allen, who lives in Reno, Nev. " My health is still good and I'm active in tennis and racquetball. I wanted to retire when I could still enjoy a few things. I 'm enjoying life away from the game."

Known for playing a fastbreak style, Allen's teams gave fits to their opponents. Bob Knight said no team used the break more effectively against his Indiana teams than Allen's teams. Jerry Tarkanian said Allen was the foremost fastbreak coach in the country and that Allen's teams always scared him when Tarkanian was coaching at UNLV.

"I played at Marshall University and they were known for their fastbreak," Allen said, "and that's where I learned to play it and coach it. I added a little bit to it. I played at Marshall in 1957-58 when we led the nation in scoring. They were always known as a high-scoring team. That's the style I knew and enjoyed it, and the fans loved it. I always recruited fastbreak style players."

After coaching high school basketball for one season and five seasons as the freshman coach at Marshall University, Allen became the head coach at Old Dominion in 1965. Over the next 10 seasons, ODU averaged 18 wins a year and played in two NCAA Division II championship games.

"We got to the national finals in 1971 and lost in the championship game to Evansville (97-82) on its home floor," Allen said. "We went back in 1975 and won the whole thing. That was the highlight of my coaching career. We beat New Orleans (76-74) that year in the finals in Evansville. That was a special team. We won our last 15 ballgames and finished 25-6."

Allen received the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year award from the NABC and The Associated Press in '75. He became the head coach at Southern Methodist University the next season and was named the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year in his first year at SMU.

In 1980, Allen took over the Nevada-Reno program and guided the Wolf Pack to a pair of Big Sky Conference tournament titles and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1984 and '85. In seven seasons at Reno, Allen posted a 114-89 record.

The final 14 years of Allen's career took place in professional basketball. He coached in the World Basketball League (for players 6-foot-5 and shorter), the Continental Basketball Association, the National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Association. He also did some scouting for a couple of NBA teams.

"I was head coach of the Las Vegas Silverstreaks in the WBL after leaving Reno," Allen said. "We won the playoffs and led the league in scoring (in 1988). Anthony Jones played on that team and went on to play for the Dallas Mavericks. There were a few players in the league who got a chance to move up to the NBA."

Allen's final coaching stop came in Sacramento as head coach of the WNBA's Monarchs from 1998-2001. Nancy Lieberman, who knew Allen from his Old Dominion days, had hired Allen to help her as an assistant with the Detroit WNBA team the year before he got the Sacramento job.

"The league was new and they were happy to have a league of their own," Allen said of coaching in the WNBA. "Everything was first class and it was a short season. It was fun coaching them. We made the playoffs all three years, but couldn't beat Houston. We were about the third or fourth best team in the league."

Whether he's attending a Nevada-Reno game or watching a college or pro game on television, Allen remains a huge basketball fan. He only wishes today's players could control their emotions better.

"I don't like the way the players react," Allen said. "There are more athletes playing the game now, but not as many good basketball players. That is true of all sports. There is more competition, better coaching, more training and facilities, more of everything. I still enjoy the college game."

Sonny Allen's Memorable Teams

Won championships on the college level (1975 NCAA Division II title) and pro level (1988 World Basketball League title).