There is a little-known dynasty in Tennessee sports history. Although in today’s world, coaches like Pat Summitt and players like Chamique Holdsclaw have rightfully elevated women’s basketball to national renown, the sport, not too long ago, did not have major media support. Nevertheless, the legendary coach John Head built a program at Nashville Business College in the 1950s and 1960s that rivaled the success of the Boston Celtics from the same era. A native of Robertson County born in 1915, Head coached Nashville Business College girls basketball for twenty-three years, during which time his teams won eleven national titles. Remarkably, eighteen times they were in the top four in the national tournament, and they won eight straight national crowns starting in 1962. During his tenure, his teams went 689-95. John Head coached twenty All-Americans, including the great Nera White. She, along with Head and six other NBC players, are members of the prestigious Helms Hall of Fame. On the international level, Head racked up an impressive 40-15 record, leading the U.S. women’s team to two world titles in 1953 and 1957. His record as a coach is truly spectacular on both the national and international fronts. Without pioneers such as John Head and his great teams, it is questionable whether there would be WNBA stars of today.
