Justin M. "Sam" Barry enshrined as a coach in 1979

Justin M. "Sam" Barry

Enshrined 1979
Born: December 17, 1892
Aberdeen, SD
Died: September 25, 1950

Coach extraordinaire, Sam Barry knew how to mold young athletes into champions. After a four-year stint at Knox College, Sam coached at the University of Iowa for seven seasons, leading the Hawkeyes to the 1923 Big Ten Championship. He then headed west to coach at USC for eighteen years, leading the Trojans to Pacific Coast Conference championships in 1930, 1935, and 1940. Under Barry, USC won the Southern Division seven times and finished third in the 1940 NCAA tournament. Barry was a leading advocate of the 10-second rule and the elimination of the center jump after each basket. A natural-born coach, Barry coached future coaching greats Alex Hannum, Bill Sharman, and Tex Winter, and his legacy at the University of Iowa and the University of Southern California remains strong today.