K-State mourns the passing of former coach Cotton Fitzsimmons
Jul 25, 2004 | Men's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kan. Former Kansas State men’s basketball coach Lowell “Cotton” Fitzsimmons, who led the Wildcats to the 1970 Big Eight Championship, died late Saturday at the age of 72 due to complications from lung cancer.
Fitzsimmons, who followed the legendary Tex Winter as head coach in 1968, coached just two seasons at Kansas State, compiling a 34-20 record. Taking over the reigning Big Eight champion, Fitzsimmons guided the Wildcats to a second place finish in the league in 1968-69 and a 14-12 overall record. Known for his exciting style, his first squad averaged more fans (12,166) than any team in the pre-Bramlage Coliseum history.
Fitzsimmons followed that season with one of the best in school history in 1969-70, as K-State posted its first 20-win season in six years and earned its eighth league title in 13 years. The Wildcats ran off of an eight-game winning streak en route to the NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinals where they lost to New Mexico State, 70-66, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. The team upset 12th-ranked Houston the following day in the consolation game to finish the season at 20-8. For his efforts, Fitzsimmons was named the Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year.
Fitzsimmons coached three first team All-Big Eight Conference players while at Kansas State, including guard Steve Honeycutt in 1969 and Jerry Venable and Bob Zender in 1970. A memorable character, he remains the only coach in school history to ever add a third color to the uniforms when he attached a gold trim during his stay.
Fitzsimmons left Kansas State in 1970 to become head coach of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, the first of three coaching stints with the franchise. He went on to coach 21 seasons in the NBA, compiling the 10th-most victories in the league’s history with an 832-775 (.518) record with five teams - Phoenix (1970-72; 1988-92; 1996-97), Atlanta Hawks (1972-76), Buffalo Braves (1977-78), Kansas City Kings (1978-84) and San Antonio Spurs (1984-86). Fitzsimmons, who was executive vice president of the Suns, spent the last several years as a television and radio commentator for the team.
A native of Hannibal, Mo., Fitzsimmons began his coaching career at Moberly (Mo.) Junior College, where he compiled a 224-58 record and won two national titles. He was twice named the National Junior College Coach of the Year at Moberly. Fitzsimmons came to Kansas State in the summer of 1967 as an assistant coach under Winter following the resignation of Bill Guthridge who left to take a similar job at North Carolina.
Fitzsimmons is survived by his wife of nearly 26 years, JoAnn, son Gary, two grandchildren, one brother and two sisters. Funeral services are schedule for Monday evening at the St. Timothy Catholic Community in Mesa, Ariz. His burial will be private.
