Emmett B. "Branch" McCracken: A Hoosier legend

Long before John Wooden, Bobby Knight and Larry Bird, the Hoosier Hardwood household name in Indiana was Emmett B. “Branch” McCracken.

Branch is best known for coaching the Indiana University “Hurrying Hoosiers” to two NCAA basketball championships — the first in 1940 and another in 1953. This basketball phenom of the early 20th century was born and raised in the small community of Monrovia, Ind., where he led his high school team to three Tri-State basketball championships.

Because of his precise shooting skills and strong work ethic, McCracken was recruited to play at nearby Indiana University where he quicky excelled at the center, forward and guard positions. In his three years on the IU team, he never missed a game. More notably, he was responsible for scoring 32.3 percent of the entire team’s points during his college career.

In 1930, Branch McCracken led the Big Ten Conference with 12.3 points per game and graduated holding the league’s career scoring record earning him All-American First Team honors.

For a short-time following college, Branch played in the pro basketball circuit, but he was most interested in coaching on the college level.

McCracken started his coaching career at Ball State University, where his teams went 93-41 during his eight-year tenure there. In 1938, he transitioned to Indiana University. Within two years, Branch McCracken — at the age of 31 — coached the IU Hoosiers to their first NCAA Basketball Championship. In his 23 years serving as the IU Basketball Head Coach, the Hoosiers won four Big Ten Title Championships and two NCAA Championships.

Branch McCracken earned numerous awards and accolades for his accomplishments on and off the court. However, his family has said that Branch was especially proud to have served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II and for recruiting Bill Garrett, the first African-American starting player at IU and in the Big Ten Basketball Conference.

Branch McCracken died on June 4, 1970. You can visit his grave at the beautiful Mt. Pleasant Cemetery just west of Monrovia. An Indiana Historical Society official marker honoring McCracken was unveiled in 2017 in front of the Monrovia Public Library.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

HIGH SCHOOL

• Tri-State Tournament MVP: 1925, 1926

COLLEGE

• Big Ten MVP: 1928

• IU Scoring Record: 1928, 1929, & 1930

• Big Ten Single Season Scoring Record: 1930

• Consensus NCAA All-American: 1930

• Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame: 1960

COACHING

• Overall Collegiate Coaching Record: 450-231

• Four Big Ten Championships: 1953, 1954, 1957 & 1958

• Two NCAA Championships: 1940 & 1953

• NCAA Coach of the Year: 1940 & 1953

• Holds the record as the Youngest Coach to win a NCAA Basketball Championship

• National Collegiate Hall of Fame (2006)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

• “Branch McCracken Gymnasium” – Monrovia High School

• “Branch McCracken Basketball Court” – Indiana University (Assembly Hall)

• Indiana Historical Society Marker – Monrovia Public Library

Notable sites

Indiana Historical Society Marker: Monrovia Public Library, 145 S. Chestnut Street, Monrovia, IN

Branch McCracken grave: Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, 5409 W. Hurt Road, Monrovia, IN

(Prepared by the Morgan County Leadership Academy Class of 2022 on behalf of the Morgan County Bicentennial Committee)