Bill Putnam

William Charles Putnam (August 12, 1922 – December 12, 1992) was an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins. He earned second-team All-American honors in 1945, when he helped lead the Bruins to their first basketball championship, winning the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) Southern Division title. Putnam was later an assistant coach and assistant athletic director at UCLA. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

Early life Putnam was born on August 12, 1922, in San Francisco. Putnam's family moved to Sacramento, California, in the early 1930s. He was the school's first four-sport athlete, competing also in football, baseball and track and field.

College playing career Putnam played basketball at Sacramento City College (SCC) from 1940 to 1942, leading the Panthers to two second-place finishes in a then-15-team conference. The , guard transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, to play for the Bruins under coach Wilbur Johns. following the Bruins' loss of Johnny Fryer, an Army reserve who was called to serve in World War II. While Barksdale played, Johns chose to keep Putnam inactive and preserve a year of his eligibility. winning the PCC Southern Division title with a 34–28 victory over their crosstown rivals, USC. The Bruins were not able to face the Northern Division champion in a playoff due to scheduling conflicts arising from UCLA's roster being all Navy trainees. Putnam was named a second-team All-American by the Helms Athletic Foundation, becoming the UCLA basketball program's second All-American, and he was a unanimous selection to the All-PCC Southern Division team.

Putnam also earned a letter in football as a guard in 1944. He was posthumously named to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993,

Later years Putnam (left) as an assistant coach at UCLA under John Wooden (center) c. 1958. In 1945, Putnam played on the 20th Century-Fox team that advanced to the consolation round of the Amateur Athletic Union's national basketball tournament, finishing in fourth place.

After graduating from college in 1945, Additionally in 1948, Putnam became an assistant director of athletics under Johns; Putnam was responsible for UCLA athletic teams' travel arrangements. He was also the Bruins' junior varsity head coach for two seasons.

Putnam died of a heart attack on December 12, 1992, while returning home from a UCLA basketball game at Pauley Pavilion against San Diego. He was 70.