Clair Bee coached basketball at Long Island University and Rider University for a total of 21 years, compiling a career record of 412-87. His .826 winning percentage is the highest of any coach in NCAA history. In 18 seasons at LIU he posted a 360-80 mark, including undefeated seasons in 1935-36 (25-0) and 1938-39 (23-0). In seven postseason trips to the NIT he led the Blackbirds to championships in 1939 and 1941.
The Grafton, W. Va., native remains the fastest coach in Division I history to reach 200 and 300 wins. A devoted teacher of the game, he also helped LIU post a 43-game winning streak, which was an NCAA record at the time.
By the time he left coaching in the 1950’s, Bee had already begun writing the Chip Hilton series, which is considered the top sports fiction series ever written. In 1967, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., but his coaching influence remains intact today. He is credited with developing the 1-3-1 zone defense, the three-second rule and advocating the adoption of the NBA’s 24-second shot clock.
Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1967, the Coach Clair Bee and Chip Hilton Awards are given annually by Chip Hilton Sports and the NCAA Foundation. The awards promote positive character in basketball, which were hallmarks of Bee and his teams.