Jule Rivlin (1985) - Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame

Jule Rivlin

Induction:
1985
Class:
1939

One of Cam Henderson’s first big moves when he became Marshall’s basketball coach was to convince Julius Rivlin, of Wheeling, W.Va., to play his college ball at Marshall. An all-state basketball player at Triadelphia High School, Rivlin was also the top scorer at the state track meet with 100- and 200-yard dash championships, making him the perfect candidate to become the “middle man” – today’s point guard – for Henderson’s innovative “quick break” attack. After a year on the junior varsity squad, Rivlin led Marshall to Buckeye Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships as a sophomore – when he finished second in the nation in scoring (434 points) to Stanford All-American Hank Luisetti – and again as a junior, and each season he was named captain of the All-Buckeye Conference Team. The conference folded after Rivlin’s junior campaign, but he kept on rolling, winning Associated Press Little All-America honors as a senior as he led Marshall to a 25-4 mark, giving the team a three-year record of 75-13 with Rivlin as a member of the varsity. By the time his career was complete, Rivlin had become Marshall’s career scoring leader with 1,093 points.

After graduation, Rivlin was drafted by the Akron Wingfoots of the National Basketball League and played for them during the 1940-41 season, but then entered the U.S. Army and played starred in the military basketball and softball leagues, leading the Fort Warren (Wyoming) base team to the AAU National Championship and garnering All-America honors as the team’s player-coach. Following the war, Rivlin returned to the National Basketball League, this time with the Toledo Jeeps – again as a player-coach – and was named Tournament MVP as he led the team to the 1946-47 championship finals.

When Cam Henderson retired at Marshall, Rivlin was chosen to be his successor. In his rookie season at the helm, Rivlin led the Thundering Herd to the 1955-56 Mid-American Conference championship and the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth. Rivlin served as Marshall’s head coach for six seasons, winning 100 games. Rivlin retired to Los Angeles, Calif., where he was often a companion of UCLA Coach John Wooden at team practices and games. Rivlin was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.