{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1914–2001)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox college coach | name = B. L. Graham | image = BL_Graham.jpg | alt = | caption = Graham in 1952 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|8|24}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2001|10|13|1914|8|24}} | death_place = Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Basketball | player_years2 = 1935–1938 | player_team2 = Ole Miss | player_positions = Center | coach_sport1 = Basketball | coach_years2 = 1939–1949 | coach_team2 = Jones County | coach_years3 = 1949–1962 | coach_team3 = Ole Miss | coach_sport4 = Football | coach_years5 = 1947–1949 | coach_team5 = Jones County | overall_record = 144–168 (college basketball)<br>23–7–1 (junior college football) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = First-team All-American – Helms (1938)<br/>First-team All-SEC (1938) | coaching_records = }} '''Bonnie Lee Graham''' (August 24, 1914 – October 13, 2001) was an American college basketball player and coach at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Graham was an All-American center at the school in 1938 and was head coach from 1949 to 1962.
"Country" Graham came to Ole Miss from Baldwyn High School, which he led the school to the 1932 Mississippi state title.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://djournal.com/lifestyle/hedlee-countys-state-champions/ |title=HED:Lee County’s State Champions |author=Bobby Pepper |date=March 10, 1999 | work=Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal|access-date = December 10, 2014}}</ref> Graham became Ole Miss' first All-American in basketball in 1938 as he was a first-team pick of the Helms Athletic Foundation squad. He pioneered the one-handed hook shot, which was known as ‘Country’s Fade-Away” and using this signature move went on to lead Ole Miss and the Southeastern Conference in scoring as a senior in 1937–38. He also played football at the school during this time.<ref name=OBIT>{{cite news| url=http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101401aaa.html |title=Ole Miss Basketball Legend Country Graham Passes Away |date=October 14, 2001 | work=Ole Miss Rebels|access-date = December 10, 2014}}</ref>
After the close of his college athletic career, Graham coached both basketball and football at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, winning state junior college titles in both sports. In 1949, he was named head coach at his alma mater.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19491211&id=MhxPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ek4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3534,1094574 |title=Bonnie Graham new cage coach at Mississippi |date=December 11, 1949 | work=St. Petersburg Times|access-date = December 10, 2014}}</ref> He coached 13 seasons, compiling a record of 144–168. His 144 victories were the most in school history until 2013 when Andy Kennedy broke the mark.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1536769-andy-kennedy-becomes-winningest-ole-miss-basketball-coach |title=Andy Kennedy Becomes Winningest Ole Miss Basketball Coach |author= Seph Anderson |date=February 23, 2013 | work=Bleacher Report|access-date = December 10, 2014}}</ref> He also was an assistant football coach for the Rebels from 1952 to 1960.<ref name=OBIT/>
Graham died on October 13, 2001, in Oxford, Mississippi, at the age of 87.<ref name=OBIT/>
==Head coaching record== ===College basketball=== {{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | conference = | postseason = | poll = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Ole Miss Rebels | conference = Southeastern Conference | startyear = 1949 | endyear = 1962 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1949–50 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 8–17 | conference = 4–13 | confstanding = 12th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1950–51 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 12–12 | conference = 5–9 | confstanding = 10th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1951–52 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 15–11 | conference = 8–6 | confstanding = 5th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1952–53 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 14–11 | conference = 5–8 | confstanding = 7th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1953–54 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 12–12 | conference = 7–7 | confstanding = 6th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1954–55 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 8–15 | conference = 5–9 | confstanding = 9th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1955–56 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 10–13 | conference = 4–10 | confstanding = 10th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1956–57 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 9–12 | conference = 4–10 | confstanding = 10th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1957–58 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 12–12 | conference = 6–8 | confstanding = 8th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1958–59 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 7–17 | conference = 1–13 | confstanding = 12th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1959–60 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 15–9 | conference = 8–6 | confstanding = 4th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1960–61 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 10–14 | conference = 5–9 | confstanding = 9th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1961–62 | name = Ole Miss | overall = 12–13 | conference = 5–9 | confstanding = 9th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Ole Miss | overall = 144–168 ({{Winning percentage|144|168}}) | confrecord = 67–117 ({{winpct|67|117}}) }} {{CBB Yearly Record End | overall = 144–168 ({{Winning percentage|144|168}}) | legend = no }} <ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=NCAA Statistics |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/9695?sport_code=MBB |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=May 29, 2024 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Jones Bobcats football coach navbox}} {{Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, B. L.}} Category:1914 births Category:2001 deaths Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:All-American college men's basketball players Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball coaches from Mississippi Category:Basketball players from Mississippi Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Coaches of American football from Mississippi Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Category:Jones County Bobcats football coaches Category:Jones County Bobcats men's basketball coaches Category:Ole Miss Rebels football coaches Category:Ole Miss Rebels football players Category:Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball coaches Category:Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball players Category:People from Baldwyn, Mississippi Category:Players of American football from Mississippi