Family Feud: Diddles Only Father-Son Combo to Oppose Each Other More Than Once

December 18th, 2012 - 21:58

When Florida International (coached by son Richard Pitino) played at Louisville (coached by father Rick Pitino), you knew the outcome in advance but it deserved acknowledgment if only because father-son coaching duels are rare events in NCAA annals. In fact, the only father-son tandem to oppose each other more than once at the NCAA Division I level were Ed Diddle Sr. (Western Kentucky) and Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee State) when they were Ohio Valley Conference rivals.

The Diddle duo combined for 815 victories in their college coaching careers but eight other family combinations boast more triumphs. The Suttons (father Eddie and sons Scott and Sean) are atop this list and will cross the 1,100-win plateau this season.

Fathers know best insofar as dads won 15 of the first 17 family-feud games. Following is a chronological list of the first six coaching matchups involving fathers and sons of Division I schools (father listed first):

Ed Diddle Sr., Western Kentucky (11) vs.
Ed Diddle Jr., Middle Tennessee State (1)

Jan. 30, 1957 (Western Kentucky, 79-72)
March 2, 1957 (Western Kentucky, 86-82)
Jan. 23, 1958 (Western Kentucky, 69-67)
Feb. 18, 1958 (Middle Tennessee State, 81-75)
Jan. 19, 1959 (Western Kentucky, 89-65)
Feb. 28, 1959 (Western Kentucky, 110-85)
Feb. 6, 1960 (Western Kentucky, 109-89)
Feb. 27, 1960 (Western Kentucky, 109-80)
Dec. 1, 1960 (Western Kentucky, 70-67)
Feb. 27, 1961 (Western Kentucky, 84-73)
Jan. 20, 1962 (Western Kentucky, 89-69)
Feb. 13, 1962 (Western Kentucky, 87-81)

Ray Meyer, DePaul (1) vs.
Tom Meyer, Illinois-Chicago Circle (0)

Dec. 1, 1981 (DePaul, 78-53)

Butch van Breda Kolff, Hofstra (0) vs.
Jan van Breda Kolff, Cornell (1)

Jan. 12, 1993 (Cornell, 70-56)

Hugh Durham, Georgia (1) vs.
Doug Durham, Georgia Southern (0)

Nov. 28, 1994 (Georgia, 87-57)

Nolan Richardson Jr., Arkansas (1) vs.
Nolan Richardson III, Tennessee State (0)

Nov. 17, 2000 (Arkansas, 90-68)

Rick Pitino, Louisville (1) vs.
Richard Pitino, Florida International (0)

Dec. 19, 2012 (Louisville, 79-55)

NOTE: NAIA affiliate Quincy College (coached by father Sherrill Hanks) lost at Samford (coached by son Mike Hanks), 99-92 in overtime, on December 21, 1982.