Oklahoma State University Athletics
Former Cowboy Basketball Coach Passes Away
June 11, 2007 | Cowboy Basketball
Tulsa, Okla. — Former Oklahoma State University basketball coach Jim Killingsworth died on Sunday. He was 83.
Killingsworth, who also coached Idaho State and Texas Christian, was an Owasso resident the last few years of his life.
Services are pending with Mowery Funeral Services in Owasso.
James Austin Killingsworth was born in Checotah on June 19, 1923. He coached OSU from 1977-79 following six seasons at Idaho State. Killingsworth was hired by the Cowboys after leading Idaho State to the Elite Eight in 1977. Idaho State also reached the NCAA Tournament under Killingsworth in 1974.
Idaho State's 1977 postseason run included an upset over UCLA, which had won NCAA titles in 10 of the previous 13 years.
At OSU, Killingsworth's stint as the Cowboys' coach began promisingly with a win over Tulsa. Although his two-year record there was only 22-31 before leaving for TCU, Killingsworth made strides at turning around the program. His last OSU team went 12-15 -- the Cowboys' most wins since Henry Iba's last season in 1969-70.
The complete article can be found at the Tulsa World website link above.
