Bill Gibson

Who is Bill Gibson?

William J. "Bill" Gibson was an American basketball coach who was the head men's basketball coach at the University of Virginia and the University of South Florida.

Gibson played basketball at Penn State University, graduating in 1952. He began his head coaching career at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania in the 1956–57 season. In seven seasons, Mansfield posted a 102–37 win–loss record under Gibson. In April 1963, Virginia named him its men's basketball coach; at the time, the Cavaliers were struggling to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Virginia was 8–16 in Gibson's first season as coach and did not win 10 games in a season until 1968–69. The Cavaliers lost in the ACC Tournament's first round, and Gibson faced a "revolt" at the hands of his own players. They petitioned against Gibson, and met with Virginia's athletic director, a group of faculty, and Gibson himself. The university retained Gibson following the meetings, and the players' complaints were not mentioned in Virginia's statement to the press, though the Associated Press said they were related to "Gibson's tactics and handling of players."