Slats Gill

Amory Tingle "Slats" Gill (May 1, 1901 – April 5, 1966) was a basketball and baseball head coach at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

Early life

Born in Salem, Oregon, Gill was the youngest of eight children and his father died when he was a child. His nickname "Slats" was given to him at age 12. Gill was swimming in a local pond one summer afternoon and upon exiting the pond, a buddy joked with Gill about his scrawny frame with his ribs protruding, which he said looked like slats in a picket fence. Gill was from then on known as "Slats."

Gill attended Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University) in Corvallis. While at OAC, he played baseball from 1919 to 1921 and basketball from 1922 to 1924. Gill was an All-American forward in 1924.

Coaching career

Gill's first head coaching position was at a high school in Oakland. After one season there, he returned to Corvallis to be the head coach of the Rooks (the OSU freshman team). He spent two seasons in that capacity.