Biography.guide
Home › People › Basketball player › B. L. Graham
Portrait of B. L. Graham

B. L. Graham

1914 – 2001

Basketball player and coach

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About B. L. Graham

Lived 1914 – 2001 (aged 87). B. L. Graham was an American basketball player and basketball coach.

Bonnie Lee Graham (August 24, 1914 – October 13, 2001) was an American college basketball player and coach at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Graham was an All-American center at the school in 1938 and was head coach from 1949 to 1962.

"Country" Graham came to Ole Miss from Baldwyn High School, which he led the school to the 1932 Mississippi state title. Graham became Ole Miss' first All-American in basketball in 1938 as he was a first-team pick of the Helms Athletic Foundation squad. He pioneered the one-handed hook shot, which was known as ‘Country’s Fade-Away” and using this signature move went on to lead Ole Miss and the Southeastern Conference in scoring as a senior in 1937–38. He also played football at the school during this time.

After the close of his college athletic career, Graham coached both basketball and football at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, winning state junior college titles in both sports. In 1949, he was named head coach at his alma mater. He coached 13 seasons, compiling a record of 144–168. His 144 victories were the most in school history until 2013 when Andy Kennedy broke the mark. He also was an assistant football coach for the Rebels from 1952 to 1960.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Mississippi
Also known as
Bonnie Lee Graham

People in B. L. Graham's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped B. L. Graham's

Frequently asked questions

Who was B. L. Graham?

basketball player and coach (1914-2001)

When was B. L. Graham born?

B. L. Graham was born on 24 August 1914.

When did B. L. Graham die?

B. L. Graham died on 13 October 2001 in Oxford.

What was B. L. Graham's occupation?

B. L. Graham was a basketball player and basketball coach.

What nationality was B. L. Graham?

B. L. Graham was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: B. L. Graham

· Wikidata: Q18645743

· DBpedia: B. L. Graham

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). B. L. Graham. https://biography.guide/b-l-graham/

MLA: "B. L. Graham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/b-l-graham/.

Chicago: "B. L. Graham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/b-l-graham/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:59 UTC