Three Rivers College’s Gene Bess will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in a ceremony Saturday, Aug. 12, in Springfield Massachusetts.
"I didn't have any thoughts about being in the Hall of Fame, but I'm here with a bunch of great guys and I'm humbled and honored to be here," Bess said during a press conference Saturday. "I was honored to stay in the same community for 50 years ... I enjoyed junior college, I felt like that was my God-given place to do my job."
Bess will be inducted alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Becky Hammon, Gregg Popovich, Jim Valvano, Gene Keady, Gary Blair, and David Hixon. Bess is the first coach inducted to spend his entire career as a JUCO coach.
“This class not only represents all levels of basketball — it represents truly, in every regard, what the game is all about and where it is,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo told the Associated Press. “I mean, think about the candidates. There’s the countries that are represented, Germany and Spain and France. It shows how far the game has come and where it is today. I think maybe it’s the most unique class, I’d say, of all time, and that covers a lot of territory. It stands by itself as in its uniqueness.”
Bess retired as the Three Rivers men’s basketball coach in 2020 as the all-time wins leader in college basketball history with 1,300 wins over 50 years at Three Rivers.
"Coach Bess' induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame is well deserved," said Dr. Wesley Payne, President of Three Rivers College. "His contributions to Three Rivers College and our community are immeasurable. Coach is both an icon and a legend, but his greatest legacy is not his wins but the lives he has touched and changed for the better over his career. Gene is not only a legendary coach, he is a shining example of honor and sportsmanship."
Bess finished with a career record of 1,300-416, won two NJCAA National Championships (1979, 1992), was a runner-up twice (1994, 2010), and went to the final four eight times among his 17 trips to the national tournament. The Raiders won 23 Region XVI Championships and won at least 20 games in 42 seasons. Bess was a two-time NJCAA Coach of the Year, and including one season as an assistant coach, he coached in 1,746 games with a winning percentage of .756. He also coached Missouri high school basketball for 12 years with a record of 237-95 between Lesterville (31-20, 1957-59), Anniston (62-58, 1959-64), and Oran (144-17, 1964-69).
His longest losing streak was six games.
Both his son (Brian) and grandson (Kolby) played for the Raiders with all three on the bench at one time. Bess’ granddaughter (Kiley) made an appearance earlier this month in the NCAA Women’s National Tournament as a member of the Saint Louis University team. Brian Bess is the current coach of the Raiders. This past season was his 30th as a member of the coaching staff.
Bess is now a member of six halls of fame: Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, National Junior College Hall of Fame, Three Rivers College Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Congratulations to Gene Bess on his upcoming enshrinement to the Naismith Hall of Fame,” said Brian Rosener, Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame President, which inducted Bess in 1983. “For half a century, Coach Gene Bess led the Three Rivers College Raiders men’s basketball team and influenced the sport more than anyone in the Mid-South Region. While he was revered nationally in the junior college ranks, basketball fans are learning with this honor that he has more wins than any college coach on any level and all but three NBA coaches. His impact on the game is more than just those 1,300 wins and two national championships. His influence continues to guide generations of players, coaches, and fans to give everything they have in all aspects of their lives.”
Bess became college basketball’s all-time wins leader in 2001 when he surpassed North Carolina’s Dean Smith and Richard Baldwin of Broome Community College, and he set a new record with every win.
He was the first college basketball coach to reach 1,000 wins in 2006, the first with 1,100 four seasons later, and 1,200 in 2015. His 1,300th win came in what ended up being his final home game on a court named in his honor.
Bess arrived in Poplar Bluff in the fall of 1969 to be an assistant coach at what was then called Three Rivers Junior College. He told his wife Nelda not to unpack much in case he didn’t make it.
The program was in its third season, coming off a losing year, and didn’t have a gym to practice in. A year later, Bess was in charge.
“I had no reservation at all recommending him as my successor,” said Three Rivers’ first coach Bob Cradic in a 2006 interview. “I wouldn’t presume that I could actually envision he would set all the records and have the kind of career he’s had, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t recognize his talent and that he was certainly going to be a success.”
Bess was an early adopter of new science and technology. In the 1960s, he would take an 8 mm strip of film to the Greyhound bus station after games, send it to St. Louis, and get a viewable version back the next afternoon. He later added weight training and nutrition before much of his competition.
Scott Borkgren - Three Rivers College