GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The man who oversaw the founding of the UW-Green Bay men's basketball program in 1969, led its rise to NCAA Division II prominence in the 1970s and spearheaded its move to Division I in 1981 has passed away.
Dave Buss, who the university called one of its "foundational leaders," was 86 years old.
Over 13 years as the Phoenix's head coach from 1969-82, Buss oversaw their start as an NAIA school and later found great success in NCAA Division II, which included three DII Final Four appearances and two national runner-up finishes.
Buss, along with UWGB's founding chancellor Ed Weidner, helped propel the Phoenix into the NCAA's top division in 1981. Buss later became the first coach inducted into the Phoenix Hall of Fame in 1995.
"This is a sad day for all of Phoenix Country," Green Bay Director of Athletics Josh Moon said in a statement. "Coach Buss was a true legend who is on the 'Mount Rushmore' of UWGB. He believed in this university and basketball program when many didn't."
"He was a visionary and helped build the foundation of excellence that we carry forward today," Moon later said.
Buss had a career record of 271-102 over his 13 seasons. He is credited for creating Green Bay's identity as a defensive-minded team, which was later carried on by Dick Bennett's NCAA Tournament teams in the 1990s.
That's something new head coach Doug Gottlieb said he hopes to channel in his first season.
"It was an honor two weeks ago to speak to the first head coach at UWGB and take in his words of wisdom," Gottlieb said in UWGB's statement. "Today I'm so very sad to learn of Coach Buss' passing and just wish I had stayed on the phone longer to learn more from such a brilliant basketball mind, especially on the defensive side of the ball."
"Coach Buss literally built our program from scratch to a three-time Division II Final Four participant," Gottlieb added. "We want to wish his family our condolences."
UW-Green Bay said it will continue to search for ways to honor Buss' legacy in the upcoming year.
