# Roger Potter

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{{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](/source/Albany%2C_Illinois), U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|6|8|1907|10|5}}
| death_place = [Moline, Illinois](/source/Moline%2C_Illinois), U.S.
| height_ft = 
| height_in = 
| weight_lbs =
| high_school = 
| college = [Illinois](/source/University_of_Illinois)
| coach_start = 1930
| coach_end = 1949
| cyears1 = 1930–1940
| cteam1 = [Moline HS](/source/Moline_High_School) (assistant)
| cyears2 = 1940–1944,<br>1946–1948
| cteam2 = Moline HS (assistant)
| cyears3 = 1949
| cteam3 = [Tri-Cities Blackhawks](/source/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](/source/basketball) coach. He was the first head coach of the [Tri-Cities Blackhawks](/source/Tri-Cities_Blackhawks) (now the [Atlanta Hawks](/source/Atlanta_Hawks)) in the [National Basketball Association](/source/National_Basketball_Association) (NBA) during the 1949–50 season. Potter accumulated a 1–4 record until his replacement by [Red Auerbach](/source/Red_Auerbach).

==Early life==
Potter was born on October 5, 1907, in [Albany, Illinois](/source/Albany%2C_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](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref> His father was a [Methodist](/source/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](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref> Potter's family settled in [Champaign, Illinois](/source/Champaign%2C_Illinois), when he was aged 11 after his father's death.<ref name=td/> Potter attended the [University of Illinois](/source/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](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Potter was hired as an assistant coach for the basketball, football and track teams at [Moline High School](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Dairy_Queen) for a year in [Worcester, Massachusetts](/source/Worcester%2C_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](/source/The_Dispatch_%2F_The_Rock_Island_Argus)''.<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](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref>

On February 14, 1949, Potter was announced as head coach of the [Tri-Cities Blackhawks](/source/Tri-Cities_Blackhawks) of the [National Basketball League](/source/National_Basketball_League_(United_States)) (NBL).<ref name=tdt/> He replaced player-coach [Bobby McDermott](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Rock_Falls%2C_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](/source/1949%E2%80%9350_Tri-Cities_Blackhawks_season)
| 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](/source/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](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Roger Potter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Potter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Potter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.