{{Short description|American basketball coach}} {{for|the British Olympic bobsledder|Roger Potter (bobsleigh)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Roger Potter | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|10|5}} | birth_place = Albany, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|6|8|1907|10|5}} | death_place = Moline, Illinois, U.S. | height_ft = | height_in = | weight_lbs = | high_school = | college = Illinois | coach_start = 1930 | coach_end = 1949 | cyears1 = 1930–1940 | cteam1 = Moline HS (assistant) | cyears2 = 1940–1944,<br>1946–1948 | cteam2 = Moline HS (assistant) | cyears3 = 1949 | cteam3 = Tri-Cities Blackhawks | highlights = | cstats_league1 = NBA | cwin1 = 1 | closs1 = 4 }} '''Roger David Potter''' (October 5, 1907 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional basketball coach. He was the first head coach of the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now the Atlanta Hawks) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 1949–50 season. Potter accumulated a 1–4 record until his replacement by Red Auerbach.
==Early life== Potter was born on October 5, 1907, in Albany, Illinois.<ref name=obit>{{cite news |title=Roger Potter |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rock-island-argus-roger-potter-obitu/175174431/ |access-date=June 24, 2025 |work=The Rock Island Argus |date=June 9, 1982 |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> His father was a Methodist minister and Potter moved frequently as a child due to his father's work.<ref name=td>{{cite news |title=Potter, 74, cage coach, dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dispatch-potter-74-cage-coach-die/175175403/ |access-date=June 24, 2025 |work=The Dispatch |date=June 8, 1982 |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Potter's family settled in Champaign, Illinois, when he was aged 11 after his father's death.<ref name=td/> Potter attended the University of Illinois where he participated in basketball, football and track.<ref name=tdt>{{cite news |title=Roger Potter, Former Moline Prep Mentor, Is Named Coach Of Tri-City Blackhawk Cagers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-roger-potter-former-mol/175174069/ |access-date=June 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Times |date=February 14, 1949 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Coaching career== Potter was hired as an assistant coach for the basketball, football and track teams at Moline High School under head coach George Senneff in 1930.<ref name=obit/> He took over as head coach of the basketball team after Senneff's retirement in 1940.<ref name=obit/> Potter's coaching career was interrupted when he served two years as a naval gunnery officer on a merchant marine supply ship during World War II and he returned in 1946.<ref name=obit/> Potter resigned as head coach in 1948 with a record of 99–55.<ref name=odonnell/> He worked for Dairy Queen for a year in Worcester, Massachusetts.<ref name=obit/> Potter returned to Moline to enter the insurance and real estate business while he also worked as a basketball columnist for ''The Dispatch''.<ref name=odonnell>{{cite news |last1=O'Donnell |first1=John |title=Roger Potter Named Coach of Tri-City Pro Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-roger-potter-named-coach/175174113/ |access-date=June 24, 2025 |work=Quad-City Times |date=February 14, 1949 |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
On February 14, 1949, Potter was announced as head coach of the Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball League (NBL).<ref name=tdt/> He replaced player-coach Bobby McDermott in a move that "came as a surprise."<ref name=tdt/> Potter led the Blackhawks to a 12–7 record during the 1948–49 season.<ref name=obit/> The Blackhawks moved to the newly-formed National Basketball Association (NBA) for the 1949–50 season. On November 9, 1949, Potter had accumulated a 1–4 record when he was dismissed as head coach and replaced by Red Auerbach.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jurgens |first1=Jerry |title=Red Auerbach Replaces Roger Potter as Coach of Blackhawks |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-red-auerbach-replaces-ro/175175255/ |access-date=June 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Times |date=November 10, 1949 |page=31 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Later life== Potter returned to the insurance business after his coaching career ended.<ref name=td/> He was elected to the school board, served a term as Republican assistant township supervisor and was on the church board of the First United Methodist Church in Moline.<ref name=td/> Potter was hired by John Deere Junior High School to teach general business in 1961.<ref name=td/> He became the Moline High School athletic director in 1966 and remained in that position until his retirement in 1973.<ref name=td/>
==Personal life== Potter married Rita Wylie in 1931 in Rock Falls, Illinois.<ref name=obit/> He had one son.<ref name=td/>
Potter died on June 8, 1982, in the Moline Public Hospital.<ref name=obit/> He had a long illness of cancer.<ref name=td/>
==Head coaching record== {{NBA coach statistics legend}} {{NBA coach statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"|Tri-Cities | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1949}} | 5||1||4||{{Winning percentage|1|4}}|| style="text-align:center;"|(replaced)||—||—||—||— | style="text-align:center;"|— {{s-end}}
Source<ref name=bbr>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/pottero99c.html|title=Roger Potter NBA Coaching Record|website=Basketball Reference|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|accessdate=9 September 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/pottero99c.html Roger Potter] at Basketball Reference
{{Atlanta Hawks coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Roger}} Category:1907 births Category:1982 deaths Category:American men's basketball coaches Category:Basketball coaches from Illinois Category:High school basketball coaches in Illinois Category:Tri-Cities Blackhawks head coaches Category:University of Illinois System alumni