Joe Cipriano (basketball)
Joe Cipriano (October 27, 1931 – November 25, 1980) was an American college basketball coach, the head coach at the University of Idaho and the University of Nebraska.
Playing career
Born in Sumas in northwest Washington, he was an all-state guard known as "Slippery Joe" at Nooksack Valley High School in Whatcom County and graduated in 1949. "Jumpin' Joe" was an All-PCC guard in college under coach Tippy Dye at Washington, and led the Huskies to a 79-15 (.840) record in his three years on the varsity. In his senior season, the engergetic Cipriano and the Huskies advanced to the 1953 Final Four in Kansas City, Missouri, and finished third.
Assistant coach
After graduation, he was the freshman coach at Washington and later an assistant coach under Dye and Johnny Grayson.
Head coach
Idaho
At age 28, Cipriano became the head coach at the University of Idaho in May 1960. He succeeded Dave Strack, who left after a single season in Moscow to return to Michigan as the head coach. Cipriano's Vandal teams improved each year and went 43–35 (.551) in three seasons. His most notable player was future NBA star Gus Johnson, the tenth overall selection in the 1963 NBA Draft and a future hall of famer. After the successful 20-6 (.769) season in 1962-63, Johnson turned professional and Cipriano moved east to Nebraska.