Douglas R. Mills

Who was Douglas R. Mills?

Douglas R. "Gaga" Mills, a native of Elgin, Illinois, was a high school and college basketball player and coach in the state of Illinois. During high school, Mills was the first player in the state to lead his team to back-to-back titles in 1924 and 1925. He totaled 32 points in four state tournament games for Elgin High School during an era of low-scoring play. Mills played for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team from 1927 to 1930 followed by a five year coaching stint at Joliet Township High School. It was at Joliet where he led his team to the state tournament in 1935. He returned to the U of I as head men's basketball coach between 1936 and 1947. It was during this time where he coached the famous "Whiz Kids" and later served as the Fighting Illini's athletic director. Mills died in 1993.

While coaching at Illinois, Mills compiled a record of 151 wins and 66 losses, winning three conference titles during his tenure. Mills served as Athletic Director for the University of Illinois from 1941 to 1966, responsible for football coaches Ray Eliot and Pete Elliott and basketball coach Harry Combes. In 2007, the Illinois High School Association named Mills one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.