| Wins against Kentucky - 0 | Losses against Kentucky - 1 |
Alma Mater: Minnesota [1921]
Hometown: Rochester, MN
Date Born: July 12, 1898
Date Died: November 2, 1985
Overall Record: 522-344 [38 Seasons]
| Date | Matchup | UK Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/16/1946 | Kentucky vs. Arizona | W | 77 - 53 | NIT (at New York, NY) |
Obituary - Arizona Daily Star (November 3, 1985)
Ex-UA Coach Enke Dies
Fred A. Enke Sr., who coached basketball at the University of Arizona for nearly four decades, died yesterday at the age of 88 at the Desert Valley Care Center in Casa Grande.
Enke, whose UA teams won 509 games from 1925 to 1961, was a charter member of the UA Sports Hall of Fame which opened in 1976.
Born July 12, 1898 in Rochester, Minn., he graduated in 1921 fro the University of Minnesota, where he received a degree in Civil Engineering and played basketball and football.
He coached basketball at South Dakota State for two years, then moved to the University of Louisville as basketball coach and athletic director. He was 42-9 at South Dakota State, and 16-16 at Louisville.
He came to UA in 1925, where his first team was 6-7. In 36 seasons, his teams won 510 games and lost 326 for a winning percentage of .610.
His best season record was 26-5 in 1949-50, followed by a 24-6 record the next year.
His teams won 81 straight games at home through 1951 when Kansas State stopped the string with a 76-57 victory. Enke opened Bear Down Gym in 1926.
The city of Tucson Fred Enke Golf Course was named after him.
He once told the Star that his most satisfying game was not a victory, but a defeat. In 1951, Arizona faced Kansas State in the NCAA championships.
"We were down 23 points in the second half," Enke said, "bout our kids never quit. They went into a full-court press and pulled within a point of Kansas State. If it weren't for a personal foul, I believe we would have upset K-State."
Kansas State lost the championship game to Kentucky.
Retiring as basketball coach after the 1960-61 season, Enke continued to coach the school's golf tam until 1966. His golf-coaching record was 209-100-12. He also coached one year of football, 1931, when his team was 3-5-1.
He retired as a professor in the physical education department in 1967 after 42 years with the school.
He and his late wife, Charline, were married for 51 years. Mrs. Enke, known as "Mom" to hundreds of UA athletes over the years, died in 1974.
Enke is survived by a sister, Edna Weir of Rochester, Minn., and a son, Fred W. Enke of Case Grande, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Visitations will be held today from 5-7 p.m. at the Cole and Maud Mortuary in Casa Grande and tomorrow from 5-7 p.m. at the Arizona Mortuary, 7 E. University Blvd. in Tucson.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, at the Arizona Mortuary, with grave-side services to follow at East Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery, 5801 E. Grant Road, in Tucson.
