{{Short description|American college basketball coach, physician (1889–1962)}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Howell Peacock | image = Howell Peacock - UNC.jpg | alt = | caption = Peacock pictured in ''Yackety yak 1918'', UNC yearbook | birth_date = {{Birth date|1889|9|11}} | birth_place = Columbus, Georgia, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1962|9|8|1889|9|11}} | death_place = Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_years1 = 1908 | player_team1 = Columbus YMCA | player_years2 = 1909–1912 | player_team2 = Georgia | player_positions = Center | coach_years1 = 1912–1916 | coach_team1 = Georgia | coach_years2 = 1916–1919 | coach_team2 = North Carolina | overall_record = | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = 2 SIAA (1914, 1916) | awards = All-Southern (1910, 1912) | coaching_records = }} '''Howell Benajah Peacock''' (September 11, 1889 – September 8, 1962) was an American basketball coach, best known for being the head coach of men's college basketball at the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina.
==Playing career== Peacock was captain and center for the Southern champion 1908 Columbus YMCA team,<ref>{{Cite web | title=Article clipped from The Atlanta Constitution - Newspapers.com™ | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution/172613128/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250522172337/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution/172613128/ | access-date=2025-08-25 | archive-date=2025-05-22}}</ref> then "the cradle of basketball in Georgia."<ref>{{Cite web | title=Article clipped from The Columbus Ledger - Newspapers.com™ | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-columbus-ledger/172436825/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250529080445/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-columbus-ledger/172436825/ | access-date=2025-08-25 | archive-date=2025-05-29}}</ref> Peacock then played for the Georgia men's basketball team and was team captain for the 1909–10 and 1911–12 seasons.<ref name="Georgia Bulldogs Media Guide p=100">{{harvnb|Georgia Bulldogs Media Guide|2021|p=100}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Mike Donahue |year=1907 |title=Intercollegiate Basket Ball in the South |url=https://archive.org/details/spaldingsofficia01fish/page/54/mode/2up |journal=Spalding's Official Collegiate Basket Ball Guide |page=55}}</ref> In 1909, continuous dribbling and shots off the dribble were allowed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCAA Basketball Rule Change History |url=http://www.orangehoops.org/NCAA/NCAA%20Rule%20Changes.htm |accessdate=15 April 2023}}</ref> The 1909 Georgia team did not lose a game against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) opponents.
He also played with the Athens YMCA club in 1912 and according to sportswriter Dick Jemison was "by far the best center that ever stepped on a Southern floor".<ref name="newspapers">{{cite web |date=February 19, 1912 |title=Article clipped from The Atlanta Constitution - Newspapers.com™ |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution/172415852/ |access-date=May 15, 2025 |website=newspapers.com |page=7}}</ref> He stood just 5 feet 10 inches.
==Coaching at Georgia== After playing on the team, cbecame the head coach for Georgia in 1912 and coached the bulldogs for the next four seasons.<ref name="Georgia Bulldogs Media Guide p=101">{{harvnb|Georgia Bulldogs Media Guide|2021|p=101}}</ref> Peacock amassed a 30–7 record while coaching for the University of Georgia.<ref name="Georgia Bulldogs Media Guide p=154">{{harvnb|Georgia Bulldogs Media Guide|2021|p=154}}</ref> The 1914 team won the SIAA and featured Howell's brother Albert Peacock at forward.
==Coaching at North Carolina== After leaving the University of Georgia, Peacock became head coach at North Carolina while being simultaneously enrolled as a medical student there.<ref name="Powell 2005 p=12">{{harvnb|Powell|2005|p=12}}</ref> Peacock took over after the departure of Charles Doak as head coach.<ref name="Powell 2005 p=12">{{harvnb|Powell|2005|p=12}}</ref> When Doak left, many of his players also graduated, leaving Peacock to build the team mostly from scratch.<ref name="Powell 2005 p=12">{{harvnb|Powell|2005|p=12}}</ref> In order to field a full team, Peacock recruited players from all over campus by posting signs up, asking men to come and try out for the team.<ref name="Powell 2005 p=12">{{harvnb|Powell|2005|p=12}}</ref> Ten individuals showed up for try-outs and three made it onto the team.<ref name="Powell 2005 p=12">{{harvnb|Powell|2005|p=12}}</ref> The 1916–17 team barely managed to earn a winning record, but did manage to beat Virginia, which was considered a moral victory.<ref name="Rappoport 2002 p=2">{{harvnb|Rappoport|2002|p=2}}</ref> The 1916–17 team also included a future Governor of North Carolina Luther H. Hodges and General F. Carlylel Shepard.<ref name="Rappoport 2002 p=6">{{harvnb|Rappoport|2002|p=6}}</ref>
The 1917–18 team managed to win all of its home games and became one of the best teams in the South.<ref name="Powell 2005 p=12">{{harvnb|Powell|2005|p=12}}</ref> Peacock's third and final season with the Tar Heels was largely a disappointment, however, as the Tar Heels went 9–7 in the 1918–19 season.<ref name="Powell 2005 p=12">{{harvnb|Powell|2005|p=12}}</ref>
==Medical career and death== Howell graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He practiced medicine at the Pennsylvania Hospital and the Benjamin Franklin Clinic, both located in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Howell Peacock, Ex-Georgia, To Be Buried |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-obituary-for-howell/194379189/ |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal |location=Atlanta, Georgia |date=September 10, 1962 |page=35 |access-date=March 28, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> Howell died on September 8, 1962, at his home in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Dr. Howell Peacock Dies In Philadelphia |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-obituary-for-howell-b-p/194379222/ |newspaper=The Columbus Enquirer |location=Columbus, Georgia |date=September 10, 1962 |page=2 |access-date=March 28, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref>
==Head coaching record== {{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Georgia Bulldogs | conference = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association | startyear = 1912 | endyear = 1916 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1912–13 | name = Georgia | overall = 10–1 | conference = 7–0 | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 1913–14 | name = Georgia | overall = 9–1 | conference = 5–0 | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1914–15 | name = Georgia | overall = 4–3 | conference = 2–2 | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 1915–16 | name = Georgia | overall = 7–2 | conference = 2–0 | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Georgia | overall = 30–7 | confrecord = 16–2 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = North Carolina Tar Heels | conference = Independent | startyear = 1916 | endyear = 1919 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1916–17 | name = North Carolina | overall = 5–4 | conference = | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1917–18 | name = North Carolina | overall = 9–3 | conference = | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1918–19 | name = North Carolina | overall = 9–7 | conference = | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = North Carolina | overall = 23–14 | confrecord = }} {{CBB Yearly Record End | overall = 53–21 | legend = no }}
==Sources== # {{Cite book|title=University of North Carolina Basketball|first=Adam|last=Powell|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=2005|isbn=0-7385-4150-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4YhGeDCjS7wC}} # {{Cite book|title=Tales from the Tar Heel Locker Room|first=Ken|last=Rappoport|publisher=Sports Publishing LLC|year=2002|isbn=1-58261-489-X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WHcMGVwNzgkC&q=Charles+Doak+basketball}} # {{Cite web|title=2008-09 North Carolina men's basketball media guide|publisher=UNC Athletic Communications|url=http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/100708aab.html|access-date=October 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917024418/http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/100708aab.html|archive-date=September 17, 2009|url-status=dead}} # {{Cite web|title=Dawgs Basketball 2021–22 Media Guide|url=https://issuu.com/georgiadogs/docs/2021_22_mbb_media_guide |publisher=University of Georgia |year=2021 |ref={{sfnref|Georgia Bulldogs Media Guide|2021}}}} # {{Cite web|title=Orange County, NC - Old Chapel Hill Cemetery, Part 2 |publisher= usgwarchives.net |url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/orange/cemeteries/chap002.txt}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Find a Grave}}
{{Georgia Bulldogs basketball coach navbox}} {{North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peacock, Howard}} Category:1889 births Category:1962 deaths Category:20th-century American medical doctors Category:American men's basketball coaches Category:American men's basketball players Category:Georgia Bulldogs basketball coaches Category:Georgia Bulldogs basketball players Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball coaches Category:Jefferson Medical College alumni Category:People from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania Category:Basketball players from Columbus, Georgia Category:Medical doctors from Philadelphia Category:Basketball coaches from Georgia (U.S. state)