Douglas Raymond "Gaga" Mills (April 9, 1907 – August 12, 1993), a native of Elgin, Illinois, was a high school and college basketball player and coach in the state of Illinois. During high school, Mills was the first player in the state to lead his team to back-to-back titles in 1924 and 1925. He totaled 32 points in four state tournament games for Elgin High School during an era of low-scoring play. Mills played for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team from 1927 to 1930[1] followed by a five-year coaching stint at Joliet Township High School. He led his Joliet team to the state tournament in 1935. He returned to the U of I as head men's basketball coach from 1936 to 1947.[2] He coached the famous "Whiz Kids" and also served as the Fighting Illini's athletic director. Mills died in 1993.
 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 9, 1907 Elgin, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 12, 1993 (aged 86) Urbana, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1927–1929 | Illinois |
| Basketball | |
| 1927–1930 | Illinois |
| Position(s) | Quarterback (football) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1936–1941 | Illinois (assistant) |
| Basketball | |
| 1931–1935 | Joliet Central HS |
| 1936–1947 | Illinois |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1941–1966 | Illinois |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 151–66 (college) 68–36 (high school) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
As coach:
As player: | |
| Awards | |
| 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament (2007) | |
While coaching at Illinois, Mills compiled a record of 151 wins and 66 losses, winning three conference titles during his tenure. He added the athletic director's post in 1941. In 1947, he stepped down as head coach to concentrate on his duties as athletic director, naming Champaign High coach Harry Combes as his successor. He was also responsible for hiring football coaches Ray Eliot and Pete Elliott. When Mills resigned his position as AD in 1966, it triggered the slush fund scandal. In 2007, the Illinois High School Association named Mills one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.
He and his wife, Lorene Muntz, had a daughter, Sally, who died from a ruptured appendix. The two later adopted two children, Peter G. Mills and the late Molly M. Mills.
Doug and Lorene divorced in the early 1960s. Neither ever remarried.
Head coaching record
editHigh school
edit| School | Season | Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet Township HS | 1930-31 | 12-10 | |
| Joliet Township HS | 1931-32 | 16-3 | |
| Joliet Township HS | 1932-33 | 10-9 | |
| Joliet Township HS | 1933-34 | 18-4 | District Champions |
| Joliet Township HS | 1934-35 | 12-10 | State Quarterfinalist |
| Coaching totals | 1930-35 | 68-36 |
College
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten Conference) (1936–1947) | |||||||||
| 1936–37 | Illinois | 14–4 | 10–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 1937–38 | Illinois | 9–9 | 4–8 | T–8th | |||||
| 1938–39 | Illinois | 14–5 | 8–4 | 3rd | |||||
| 1939–40 | Illinois | 14–6 | 7–5 | T–4th | |||||
| 1940–41 | Illinois | 13–7 | 7–5 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1941–42 | Illinois | 18–5 | 13–2 | 1st | |||||
| 1942–43 | Illinois | 17–1 | 12–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1943–44 | Illinois | 11–9 | 5–7 | 6th | |||||
| 1944–45 | Illinois | 13–7 | 7–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 1945–46 | Illinois | 14–7 | 7–5 | T–5th | |||||
| 1946–47 | Illinois | 13–7 | 8–4 | T–2nd | |||||
| Illinois: | 151–66 (.696) | 88–47 (.652) | |||||||
| Total: | 151–66 (.696) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Illinois Basketball History – All-Time Rosters". www.fightingillini.com. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Mills Accepts U. of I. Coach Job". Daily Journal-Gazette and Commercial-Star. Matoon, Illinois. April 4, 1936. p. 5. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.