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Tom Jorgensen

1935 – 2013

American basketball player-coach

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About Tom Jorgensen

Lived 1935 – 2013 (aged 78). Tom Jorgensen was an American basketball coach and basketball player.

Thomas A. Jorgensen, Jr.(January 2, 1935 – November 29, 2013) was an American basketball coach and player. He was the head coach of the Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball from 1966 to 1973, compiling a record of 95–61 . He played college basketball at the University of Michigan from 1953 to 1956. He was also an assistant basketball coach at Michigan from 1960 to 1966.

Early years Jorgensen attended Parker High School in the Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.

University of Michigan Jorgensen played college basketball at the University of Michigan from 1953 to 1956. He was the team's second leading scorer for three consecutive years. He had a career total of 862 points for the Wolverines. He was also selected as the captain of the 1955–56 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. In 1955, The Michigan Daily wrote of Jorgensen: "His deadly outside set shot and excellent dribbling ability made him one of the Big Ten's best all-around ballplayers."

Jorgensen was hired in 1960 as an assistant basketball coach under Dave Strack at Michigan. He remained in that position through 1966.

In 1966, Jorgensen was hired as the head coach of the Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball team. He remained there for seven seasons. He compiled a record of 95–61 at Northern Illinois and led the team to the 1972 Midwestern Conference championship. Jorgensen's 1971–72 team defeated No. 5-ranked Indiana (85–71) and was ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll. Jorgensen resigned as the head coach at Northern Illinois in March 1973. Jorgensen was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.

In February 1975, Joregensen was hired as the supervisor of basketball officials for the Western Athletic Conference.

In 1988, Jorgensen was hired as the chief scout for the Charlotte Hornets.

Head coaching record

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Michigan

People in Tom Jorgensen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Tom Jorgensen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Tom Jorgensen?

American basketball player-coach

When was Tom Jorgensen born?

Tom Jorgensen was born on 2 January 1935 in Illinois.

When did Tom Jorgensen die?

Tom Jorgensen died on 29 November 2013.

What was Tom Jorgensen's occupation?

Tom Jorgensen was a basketball coach and basketball player.

What nationality was Tom Jorgensen?

Tom Jorgensen was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Tom Jorgensen

· Wikidata: Q16227683

· DBpedia: Tom Jorgensen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tom Jorgensen. https://biography.guide/tom-jorgensen/

MLA: "Tom Jorgensen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tom-jorgensen/.

Chicago: "Tom Jorgensen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tom-jorgensen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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