| Wins against Kentucky - 0 | Losses against Kentucky - 1 |
Alma Mater: Beloit [1949]
Hometown: Rockford, IL
Date Born: June 19, 1927
Date Died: March 18, 2020
Overall Record: 134-152 [12 Seasons]
| Date | Matchup | UK Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/20/1963 | Wisconsin at Kentucky | W | 108 - 85 | UKIT |
Obituary - Stevens Point Journal (March 23, 2020)
Erickson, Former UW Men's Basketball Coach and Bucks GM, Dies
by Jeff Potrykus Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MADISON - John Erickson, the men's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin from 1959-67 and the first general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks, has died.
Erickson died Wednesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 92.
A native of Rockford, Illinois, Erickson replaced Bud Foster as UW's head coach for the 1959-60 season. He compiled a record of 110-114, including 52-74 in Big Ten play, in nine seasons.
Erickson's best season came in 1961-62, when UW upset No. 1 Ohio State, 86-67, in the next-to-last regular-season game.
The Buckeyes won the Big Ten Title with a 13-1 mark, three games ahead of UW at 10-4, and went on to lose to Cincinnati in the national title game. UW finished 17-7 overall that season.
UW's second-place finish in 1962 marked the only time from 1950-98 the Badgers finished higher than fourth in the league.
Erickson left UW after nine seasons to join the expansion Milwaukee Bucks as the team's general manager. He served in that role from 1968-70.
Milwaukee won a coin flip with the Phoenix Suns for the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NBA draft and selected Lew Alicindor out of UCLA. Alicindor, who changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, led the Bucks to the league title in 1971.
