About Don Suman
Lived 1920 – 2015 (aged 95). Don Suman was an American basketball coach and sports executive.
Donald W. Suman (January 19, 1920 – February 5, 2015) was a college basketball coach. He was the head coach of Rice from 1949 to 1959. He coached Rice to a 132–105 record, winning one Southwest Conference championship and making one NCAA tournament appearance. He also played college basketball and football as a student at Rice. After leaving his coaching position, he took a front office position under Bud Adams for the Houston Oilers. He was inducted into the Rice athletics Hall of Fame in 1987. He left Rice to become General Manager of the new Houston Oilers. In his first three seasons as GM the Oilers won the first two AFL championships. In his two seasons as GM the Oilers combined record was 20–7–1.
Suman died on February 5, 2015, in Houston.
Head coaching record
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
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Don Suman's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Don Suman's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Don Suman?
American basketball coach
When was Don Suman born?
Don Suman was born on 19 January 1920 in San Antonio.
When did Don Suman die?
Don Suman died on 5 February 2015 in Houston.
What was Don Suman's occupation?
Don Suman was a basketball coach and sports executive.
What nationality was Don Suman?
Don Suman was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Don Suman. https://biography.guide/don-suman/
MLA: "Don Suman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/don-suman/.
Chicago: "Don Suman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/don-suman/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:28 UTC