Meyer led the Wolves to the program’s second best record in school history in 2007-08, going 29-4 overall and taking second place in the NSIC with a 16-2 record. The only losses for the Wolves came at the hands of eventual National Champion, Winona State. The 2007-08 season also saw Coach Meyer climb the ranks of the NCAA all-time wins list. On Jan. 19, 2008, an 87-78 win over the University of Mary gave Meyer his 879th victory and put him at second place among the best coaches in basketball history. A thunderous crowd of 5,454 watched Meyer accomplish the feat at Wachs Arena, and even more looked on with the game broadcast on local television throughout the Dakotas. “Successful programs consist of people working hard, working together, while never worrying about who gets the credit.” – Don Meyer Under Meyer’s direction, the Wolves surpassed the 20-win mark for seven straight seasons until reaching just 19 wins in 2008-09. They reached NCAA post-season play five out of six years and appeared in the North Central Region Championship game twice (2006 and 2008). Meyer’s Wolves won four regular season or NSIC Tournament titles and finished among the top three teams in the league for seven consecutive years. Meyer retired from coaching at the end of the 2009-10 season, citing the challenges of battling cancer and the fatigue associated with it. His final record of 923-324 ranks 6th on the all-time NCAA career wins list. Meyer’s name is respected nationally in the college coaching ranks. Well over 10,000 coaches from all over the nation have attended the Don Meyer Coaches Academy. Meyer’s featured speakers read as a who’s who in the coaching ranks. In 2001, he brought the Academy to Aberdeen with Tennessee’s Pat Summitt as keynote speaker. In 2002, John Wooden and Dick Bennett were featured in the academy. Tubby Smith and Jerry Krause spoke at the 2006 Academy. Meyer also produced instructional books and a 30-tape series “Building a Championship Program” that has helped coaches at every level from high school to the NBA. Programs using the tapes include perennial Division I powerhouses Duke, Kansas, Wake Forest and North Carolina; and NBA franchises such as the Utah Jazz and Seattle Supersonics. Meyer’s summer Lipscomb Bison Basketball Camps became known as one of the most successful players’ camp in the country, drawing 4,500 campers annually. Meyer’s coaches’ and players’ camps in Aberdeen have been huge successes as well. Meyer gave countless motivational speeches throughout the country and published numerous articles for many coaching publications. This spring he spoke to the leader- ship of the Atlanta Braves baseball organization. Meyer is survived by his wife, Carmen; son, Jerry; daughters, Brooke Napier and Brittney Touchton; mother, Edna; sisters, Jeanie Shank and Nancy Meyer; brother, Mike; and eight grandchildren. “The key component to leadership is this: Your example is not the main thing in influencing others; it’s the only thing.” – Don Meyer
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