GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota Athletics mourns the loss of former North Dakota men's basketball head coach Dave Gunther, who passed away on Saturday, March 16. He was 86.

"Coach Gunther's legacy will forever be remembered at UND," said UND Athletics Director Bill Chaves. "He had a hall of fame career but more importantly was a hall of fame person. I learned a ton about him from fellow UND hall of famer, Steve Brekke, who always mentioned to me how lucky we were able to have Coach Gunther at UND."

Gunther was one of the most successful coaches in UND history, serving as the bench boss for 18 seasons from 1971-88. He ranks second in program history with 332 wins, leading the Fighting Sioux to five North Central Conference titles, eight NCAA Division II tournaments and three Elite Eights.

He was inducted into the UND Athletics Letterwinners Hall of Fame in 1987 as an individual and saw five of his teams earn inductions as well.

Prior to his time at North Dakota, Gunther played collegiate basketball at Iowa where he starred for three seasons with the Hawkeyes from 1956-59. At the time of his departure from Iowa, he exited tied as the program's all-time scorer with 1,188 points and ranked among the top-20 nationally in points scored as a senior.

Gunther enjoyed a three-year professional career, eventually reaching the NBA with the San Francisco Warriors in 1962. Following his playing days, Gunther began a coaching career that spanned over three decades with Wayne State (Neb.), North Dakota, Buena Vista University and Bemidji State.

"Coach Gunther was a larger-than-life person that impacted everyone he came in contact with," said UND men's basketball head coach Paul Sather. "Kind, generous, with an easy smile that always put people at ease. We're really going to miss not seeing Coach in the Betty or out at lunch. He was a special guy."

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