{{redirect|Doug Mills|another person|Doug Mills (photographer)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Douglas R. Mills | image = Douglas R. Mills.png | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|4|9}} | birth_place = [[Elgin, Illinois]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date|1993|8|12}} (aged 86) | death_place = [[Urbana, Illinois]], U.S. | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Football | player_years2 = 1927–1929 | player_team2 = [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]] | player_sport3 = Basketball | player_years4 = 1927–1930 | player_team4 = [[Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball|Illinois]] | player_positions = [[Quarterback]] (football) | coach_sport1 = Football | coach_years2 = 1936–1941 | coach_team2 = [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]] (assistant) | coach_sport3 = Basketball | coach_years4 = 1931–1935 | coach_team4 = [[Joliet Central High School|Joliet Central HS]] | coach_years5 = 1936–1947 | coach_team5 = [[Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball|Illinois]] | admin_years1 = 1941–1966 | admin_team1 = [[Illinois Fighting Illini|Illinois]] | overall_record = 151–66 (college)<br />68–36 (high school) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = As coach: * 3 [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] (1937, 1942, 1943) As player: * [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National]] ([[1927 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|1927]]) | awards = [[100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament]] (2007) | coaching_records = }} '''Douglas Raymond "Gaga" Mills''' (April 9, 1907 – August 12, 1993), 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 (Illinois)|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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/MBKBHist-All-TimeRosters--1925-49.html#1937 |title=Illinois Basketball History – All-Time Rosters |website=www.fightingillini.com |publisher=[[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]] |accessdate=October 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322194327/http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/MBKBHist-All-TimeRosters--1925-49.html |archive-date=2010-03-22}}</ref> followed by a five-year coaching stint at [[Joliet Township High School]]. He led his Joliet team to the state tournament in 1935. He returned to the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|U of I]] as head men's basketball coach from 1936 to 1947.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!-- no author attribution --> |date=April 4, 1936 |title=Mills Accepts U. of I. Coach Job |pages=5 |work=Daily Journal-Gazette and Commercial-Star |publication-place=Matoon, Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-gazette/17065921/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He coached the famous "[[1942–43 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Whiz Kids]]" and also served as the [[Fighting Illini]]'s [[Illinois Fighting Illini#Athletic directors|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. He added the [[athletic director]]'s post in 1941. In 1947, he stepped down as head coach to concentrate on his duties as athletic director, naming [[Champaign Central High School|Champaign High]] coach [[Harry Combes]] as his successor. He was also responsible for hiring football coaches [[Ray Eliot]] and [[Pete Elliott]]. When Mills resigned his position as AD in 1966, it triggered the [[University of Illinois slush fund scandal|slush fund scandal]]. In 2007, the [[Illinois High School Association]] named Mills one of the [[100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament]].
He and his wife, Lorene Muntz, had a daughter, Sally, who died from a ruptured appendix. The two later adopted two children, Peter G. Mills and the late Molly M. Mills.
Doug and Lorene divorced in the early 1960s. Neither ever remarried.
==Head coaching record==
===High school=== {| class="wikitable" !School !Season !Record !Postseason |- |[[Joliet Township High School|Joliet Township HS]] |1930-31 |12-10 | |- |Joliet Township HS |1931-32 |16-3 | |- |Joliet Township HS |1932-33 |10-9 | |- |Joliet Township HS |1933-34 |18-4 |District Champions |- |Joliet Township HS |1934-35 |12-10 |State Quarterfinalist |- |width="150"| '''Coaching totals''' ||width="100"|'''1930-35'''||width="50"|'''68-36'''||width="200"| |}
===College=== {{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason= | poll = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = [[Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball|Illinois Fighting Illini]] | conference = [[Big Ten Conference]] | startyear = 1936 | endyear = 1947 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = [[1936–37 NCAA men's basketball season|1936–37]] | name = [[1936–37 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 14–4 | conference = 10–2 | confstanding = T–1st }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1937–38 NCAA men's basketball season|1937–38]] | name = [[1937–38 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 9–9 | conference = 4–8 | confstanding = T–8th }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1938–39 NCAA men's basketball season|1938–39]] | name = [[1938–39 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 14–5 | conference = 8–4 | confstanding = 3rd }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1939–40 NCAA men's basketball season|1939–40]] | name = [[1939–40 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 14–6 | conference = 7–5 | confstanding = T–4th }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1940–41 NCAA men's basketball season|1940–41]] | name = [[1940–41 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 13–7 | conference = 7–5 | confstanding = T–3rd }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = [[1941–42 NCAA men's basketball season|1941–42]] | name = [[1941–42 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 18–5 | conference = 13–2 | confstanding = 1st }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = [[1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season|1942–43]] | name = [[1942–43 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 17–1 | conference = 12–0 | confstanding = 1st }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season|1943–44]] | name = [[1943–44 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 11–9 | conference = 5–7 | confstanding = 6th }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1944–45 NCAA men's basketball season|1944–45]] | name = [[1944–45 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 13–7 | conference = 7–5 | confstanding = 3rd }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1945–46 NCAA men's basketball season|1945–46]] | name = [[1945–46 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 14–7 | conference = 7–5 | confstanding = T–5th }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = [[1946–47 NCAA men's basketball season|1946–47]] | name = [[1946–47 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team|Illinois]] | overall = 13–7 | conference = 8–4 | confstanding = T–2nd }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Illinois | overall = {{Winning percentage|151|66|record=y}} | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|88|47|record=y}} }} {{CBB Yearly Record End | overall = {{Winning percentage|151|66|record=y}} }}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball coach navbox}} {{Illinois Fighting Illini athletic director navbox}} {{1927 Illinois Fighting Illini football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Douglas R.}} [[Category:1907 births]] [[Category:1983 deaths]] [[Category:American football quarterbacks]] [[Category:American men's basketball coaches]] [[Category:American men's basketball players]] [[Category:Basketball coaches from Illinois]] [[Category:Basketball players from Illinois]] [[Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States]] [[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini athletic directors]] [[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football coaches]] [[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players]] [[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball coaches]] [[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players]] [[Category:Players of American football from Kane County, Illinois]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Elgin, Illinois]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]