If ever a basketball coach felt he was starting from scratch, that would have to be the feeling of Coach Wayne Yates as he begins his fifth season at the helm of the Northwestern State University basketball program.
In a number of ways, the Demon squad of 1984-85 will be starting anew. New players, new conference, new opponents. But most of all, new enthusiasm.
"I'm looking forward to this season as much or more than any other season as a head coach," said Yates before practice even began. "Because we have a chance for a conference championship. We have a lot of young talent that will bake its lumps early, but I really feel we have the young people on campus that can make this program a winner in a short matter of time."
Those may be high hopes for a team that was 6-22 a year ago, but as the Demons head into competition in the newly formed Gulf Star Conference, it's something that Yates feels is within reach.
"We will take our lumps early," noted Yates, as the Demons open the schedule at Texas and Southern Methodist. Later there are dates in two tournaments and nonconference dates with such teams as Louisiana Tech and Oklahoma. "But I really feel our non-conference schedule will have us prepared for what we will face in the conference race," he added/
Facing a challenge is something that is not new to Yates. He followed in some big footsteps at Memphis State and led that team to three 20 wins seasons in five years. And in just his second year in Natchitoches Yates guided that Demons to a 19-9 record and second place finish in the Trans America Conference.
Four letterman return from last season, and while that provides a base to build on, Yates feels it is the young players that will make a difference before the end of the season. The Demons will have just one senior on the squad this season.
And for a young basketball team, who better could they learn from than a coach that has had five 19-win seasons in nine years, a coach that has taken his basketball team to a post-season tournament in three of his nine years as a head coach.
In his four years at Northwestern State Yates has a record of 45-67. After an 11-17 mark in his initial season at Northwester, Yates guided his 1981-82 Demon team to a 19-9 overall record. That was good for a second place finish in the Trans America Conference and it sparked interest from the National Invitational Tournament. A last-second season ending loss and a loss in the semi-finals of the league tournament likely cost the Demons a post-season playoff spot.
For his career Yates holds a mark of 138-116 as he was a highly successful head coach at Memphis State for five seasons, compiling a mark of 93-49. Three times the Tigers made a post-season appearance in the five years that Yates guided the program.
Before taking over the head job at Memphis State, Yates served as an assistant there for five seasons, serving four years under Moe Iba and another season under Gene Bartow. Yates was Bartow's assistant when Memphis State as the head coach. Yates led the Tigers to at least 20 wins. Yates is one of only five active coaches to have won 20 or more games in his first three seasons in Division , and the Tigers won 19 games in his fourth season. Yates and just five other active coaches have won 80 games in their first four years.
During his college playing career at Memphis State Yates averaged 12 points per game as a junior as the Tigers advanced to the National Invitational Tournament. As a senior Yates led the team in both scoring and rebounding while being named to several All-American teams. Memphis State finished that season with a 20-3 overall record.
Yates is a native of Little Rock, AR, where he was an all-state prep player at North High as a senior after leading his team to the state ti9tle with a 26-point per game average.
Following his college career Yates was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA draft and he played professional until 1966. Yates was a member of the 1967-62 Laker team that lost in the NBA finals to Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics in seven games.
Yates later became the Memphis State assistant under Iba and then under Bartow before getting the head position at his alma mater. In his first season at the helm Memphis State was 20-7, losing in the NIT to Oral Roberts. Memphis State was in the NCAA tournament the following season, ending with a 21-9 mark with an NCAA tournament loss to Pepperdine.
The following year Memphis State again advanced to the NIT tournament and ended with a 20-9 record. In his fourth season the Tigers were 19-9 and for the fourth straight year the Memphis State team made an appearance in the National Top 20.
Yates likes a high scoring team that runs a fast-paced game. For three years at Memphis State Yates' teams averaged over 87 points per game and his teams there broke a dozen Memphis State scoring records. The 1981-82 Demon team led the conference in scoring.
Yates received his bachelor's degree from Memphis State and in 1970 received his master's degree from the same institution.
Yates and his wife Dala are the parents of four children, Dewayna, Ward, Kathy and Beth.
