Southeastern Oklahoma State University Athletics

Men's Basketball Coach (1980-90)

Jack Hedden was the head coach for men’s basketball from the 1980-81 season through the 1989-90 season, putting some of the most talented teams of student-athletes in school history on the basketball court.

Hedden was named Southeastern’s men’s basketball head coach in1980. He promised to restore the Savages to national prominence when he took on coaching the men’s team.

Ten years later, he had posted eight winning seasons, averaged 17.9 victories per year, logged four twenty-win seasons, taken two teams to the NAIA National Tournament, and finished third in the nation in 1985-86.

A graduate from Valliant High School in 1957, Hedden earned his bachelor’s degree at Southeastern in 1961, and then returned for his master’s in 1965.

Hedden started his coaching career at Cobb High School in 1961, and later went on to become an assistant at Murray State under another Southeastern Hall of Fame member, Wayne Cobb. He also coached the first women’s basketball team at Murray State. Along the way he coached high school boys nine years, women one year and men 16 years.

His first six years at Southeastern produced winning records, highlighted by back-to-back trips to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City and a 30-4 mark in 1985-86 when the Savages finished third in the nation.

Hedden finished his 10-year run at SE as the third-winningest coach in school history. His record of 179-99 works out to 17.9 wins per year. He was named Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year three times and District 9 Coach of the Year in 1984-85.

Hedden helped bring Southeastern basketball to national prominence during the 1980’s. The University honored him with membership into the Southeastern Oklahoma State Athletics Hall of Fame on February 14, 2009.