Former Texas Basketball Player and Assistant Coach Barry Dowd Passes Away At 85

Barry Dowd, who played from 1954 to 1958 on the Texas men's basketball team and later filled a role as an assistant coach from 1976 to 1982 under Abe Lemons, passed away this past Friday at his home in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He was 85 years old. 

Dowd is a native Texan. He was born in Dallas, Texas on March 7, 1936.

UT publicly announced Dowd's passing on Thursday. Here's an official announcement from the university regarding memorial plans for the former Texas assistant coach. 

"A Celebration of Life service will be held at Jeter & Son Funeral Home in Dallas (4830 W. Illinois Ave.) at 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 27, with a visitation beginning at Noon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Northeast Arkansas Cancer Society and Northeast Arkansas Humane Society."

During Dowd's time as a player, he appeared in 53 games for the Longhorns. His best season came in his last year with the team, where he averaged four points and one rebound per game while shooting an impressive 87 percent from the free throw line.

Despite playing at UT for three seasons, Dowd's greatest impact to the game came as a coach. He served as the head coach at UT Arlington from 1966-1976 before returning to Austin to coach under Lemons. 

Dowd's stint as an assistant came with great success, as the team secured an overall record of 110-63 during his tenure. Texas won the NIT Championship in 1978 and back-to-back Southwest Conference titles in 1978 and 1979 under Lemons' and Dowd's coaching expertise. 

This marked a memorable time for Dowd, as he became the President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in 1978, becoming the youngest coach to ever be elected as president of the organization. 

Even after his departure from UT, Dowd's coaching days didn't stop there. He served as the head coach at East Tennessee State University from 1982 to 1985, while also maintaining a role as the school's Head Athletic Director during this time. 

His role in the athletic department continued after this, as Dowd served as the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Oklahoma State University from 1990 to 1994, and Athletic Director at Arkansas State University from 1996 to 2000. 

Dowd's role as a player and lifetime impact as a coach will be remembered by the University of Texas for years to come.