John Heldman Jr.

John Heldman Jr. (July 24, 1905 – December 21, 1970) was an American college athletics coach and administrator who was the head coach of the UConn Huskies men's basketball team (1931–1936) and the head coach of the University of Louisville's baseball (1937–1966) and men's basketball teams (1940–1942).

Early life Heldman was born on July 24, 1905, in Petersburg, Mahoning County, Ohio, to John and Sadye (Bishop) Heldman.

Career Early career Heldman began his coaching career in 1927 as the freshman football, basketball, and baseball coach at Oberlin. Harrison Fitch, the program's first Black player, joined the team in the 1932–33 season. Heldman made the controversial decision to bench Fitch in a game against the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1934 after Coast Guard refused to play if Fitch was on the floor. In 1934, the student senate conducted a poll regarding the athletic department. Students voted 406 to 78 in favor of reorganizing the department and 169 to 7 in favor of removing Heidman as basketball coach. Heldman resigned after the first game of the 1935–36 season so that he could pursue his Doctor of Philosophy studies at Indiana University Bloomington. He finished with a 19–42 overall record.

Louisville In 1936, Heldman became the director of physical education and freshman football and basketball coach at the University of Louisville. He organized the university's Health, Physical Education, and Recreation program in 1937. His teams captured the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association baseball title in 1938 and 1939 and went undefeated in 1951. He compiled a record of 356–163–2 and was inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation College Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.

Heldman was head coach of the Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team from 1940 to 1942 and compiled a 9–24 record. He was replaced by Roy Mundorff in 1952, but continued to serve as director of the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation department until his death on December 21, 1970.