Norm Ellenberger
Encyclopedia
Norm Ellenberger was the head coach of the University of New Mexico
(UNM) Lobo basketball
team from 1972 to 1979, when he was forced to resign due to a recruiting scandal known as Lobo-gate.
Ellenberger graduated in 1955 from Butler University
, where he played for coaching legend Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle. After a brief stint playing baseball
in the Pittsburgh Pirates
organization, he coached basketball and other sports in the New Haven
, Indiana
public school district from 1957-1964.
He began coaching at Monmouth College
in 1964, leading all three major team sports (football, basketball and baseball) at one point. His basketball teams compiled a record of 30-36, including a 14-8 campaign in 1965-1966.
On April 13, 1967, Ellenberger took an assistant basketball position at UNM under Coach Bob King. He became head coach at UNM when King left for Indiana State University
in 1972.
The Lobo program thrived in the 1970s, and Ellenberger became a local celebrity, man-about-town, and restaurateur in Albuquerque
, earning the nickname Stormin' Norman for his flashy attire, fiery coaching style, and flamboyant personality.
Under Ellenberger, the Lobos won Western Athletic Conference
(WAC) basketball championship in 1974 and 1978 and compiled an overall record of 134-62 (.684). His teams were frequently ranked among the Top 25 in the nation. Ellenberger coached Michael Cooper for two seasons at UNM before "Coop" went on to become one of the greatest defensive players in National Basketball Association
(NBA) history.
The turning point in Ellenberger's career came with "Lobogate," a lurid episode involving forged academic transcripts, payments made for bogus junior-college credits to keep players eligible, and other devices permitting individuals entirely lacking academic credentials to be represented as college students while playing on Ellenberger's team. The episode began with an FBI wiretap on the phone of a prominent Lobo booster, recording a conversation in which Ellenberger arranged with assistant coach Manny Goldstein to transfer bogus credits from a California junior college to the office of the UNM registrar. Subsequent investigation turned up a manufactured college seal from Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, along with blank transcripts and an extensive record of previous forgery. Chapter one ("Lost in Loboland") of William C. Dowling's Confessions of a Spoilsport: My Life and Times Fighting Sports Corruption at an Old Eastern University contains a detailed account of Ellenberger's Federal trial in Roswell, New Mexico, including extensive citations from the original trial transcript.
Ellenberger managed to remain popular in Albuquerque even after the Lobogate scandal decimated the Lobo basketball program, forced him to resign as head coach, and left him with criminal liability. An NCAA
investigation into Lobo recruiting practices found 57 rule violations, and Ellenberger himself was convicted on 21 counts of fraud two years later. His restaurant ventures continued to do well, but he was never able to return formally to a major head coaching position.
His ability as a coach, and especially as a teacher of defense, was never in dispute. Hall of Famer Don Haskins
, head coach, and former WAC rival, at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP), hired Ellenberger as an assistant, giving him a chance to return to coaching. Ellenberger acted as interim head coach at UTEP for one season while Haskins was side-lined due to health problems. He later spent over a decade as assistant coach for Hall of Famer Bobby Knight
at Indiana University
. His last major coaching job was as assistant to Tim Floyd
with the Chicago Bulls
of the NBA.
While in Chicago, Ellenberger and his wife, Cyndi, became enamored with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
. After his wife took a job coaching girls basketball at Conserve School
in Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, Ellenberger accepted the position as head coach of the girls team at Lakeland Union High School in nearby Minocqua
. He finished his career there, retiring at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. He currently is a basketball coach at Conserve School
.
In the 2007 release of the Nimrod Nation 8-episode series on the Sundance Channel, Ellenberger appears as an assistant coach for the Watersmeet Nimrods in the 7th episode.
Ellenberger can be briefly seen in the movie, Blue Chips
. He is in a timeout huddle squatting next to Bobby Knight
.
In the fall of 2009, Ellenberger accepted the position of Assistant Varsity coach at Northland Pines High School in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
(UNM) Lobo basketball
New Mexico Lobo Basketball
The University of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represents the University of New Mexico in the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA Division I. UNM established basketball as a varsity sport in 1899, only eight years after the invention of the sport, but it wasn't until 1920 when they hired...
team from 1972 to 1979, when he was forced to resign due to a recruiting scandal known as Lobo-gate.
Ellenberger graduated in 1955 from Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
, where he played for coaching legend Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle. After a brief stint playing baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
organization, he coached basketball and other sports in the New Haven
New Haven, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,406 people, 4,900 households, and 3,415 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,522.0 people per square mile . There were 5,141 housing units at an average density of 630.7 per square mile...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
public school district from 1957-1964.
He began coaching at Monmouth College
Monmouth College
Monmouth College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.-History:Monmouth College was founded on April 18, 1853 by the Second Presbytery of Illinois, a frontier arm of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church...
in 1964, leading all three major team sports (football, basketball and baseball) at one point. His basketball teams compiled a record of 30-36, including a 14-8 campaign in 1965-1966.
On April 13, 1967, Ellenberger took an assistant basketball position at UNM under Coach Bob King. He became head coach at UNM when King left for Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
in 1972.
The Lobo program thrived in the 1970s, and Ellenberger became a local celebrity, man-about-town, and restaurateur in Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, earning the nickname Stormin' Norman for his flashy attire, fiery coaching style, and flamboyant personality.
Under Ellenberger, the Lobos won Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
(WAC) basketball championship in 1974 and 1978 and compiled an overall record of 134-62 (.684). His teams were frequently ranked among the Top 25 in the nation. Ellenberger coached Michael Cooper for two seasons at UNM before "Coop" went on to become one of the greatest defensive players in National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) history.
The turning point in Ellenberger's career came with "Lobogate," a lurid episode involving forged academic transcripts, payments made for bogus junior-college credits to keep players eligible, and other devices permitting individuals entirely lacking academic credentials to be represented as college students while playing on Ellenberger's team. The episode began with an FBI wiretap on the phone of a prominent Lobo booster, recording a conversation in which Ellenberger arranged with assistant coach Manny Goldstein to transfer bogus credits from a California junior college to the office of the UNM registrar. Subsequent investigation turned up a manufactured college seal from Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, along with blank transcripts and an extensive record of previous forgery. Chapter one ("Lost in Loboland") of William C. Dowling's Confessions of a Spoilsport: My Life and Times Fighting Sports Corruption at an Old Eastern University contains a detailed account of Ellenberger's Federal trial in Roswell, New Mexico, including extensive citations from the original trial transcript.
Ellenberger managed to remain popular in Albuquerque even after the Lobogate scandal decimated the Lobo basketball program, forced him to resign as head coach, and left him with criminal liability. An NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
investigation into Lobo recruiting practices found 57 rule violations, and Ellenberger himself was convicted on 21 counts of fraud two years later. His restaurant ventures continued to do well, but he was never able to return formally to a major head coaching position.
His ability as a coach, and especially as a teacher of defense, was never in dispute. Hall of Famer Don Haskins
Don Haskins
Donald Lee Haskins, nicknamed "The Bear" , was an American collegiate basketball coach and player. He played for three years under legendary coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M...
, head coach, and former WAC rival, at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP), hired Ellenberger as an assistant, giving him a chance to return to coaching. Ellenberger acted as interim head coach at UTEP for one season while Haskins was side-lined due to health problems. He later spent over a decade as assistant coach for Hall of Famer Bobby Knight
Bobby Knight
-Indiana:When Indiana University was seeking a new coach in 1971, they turned to Knight. Knight was given the nickname "The General" by former University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons coach-turned-broadcaster Dick Vitale....
at Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
. His last major coaching job was as assistant to Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college...
with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
of the NBA.
While in Chicago, Ellenberger and his wife, Cyndi, became enamored with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. After his wife took a job coaching girls basketball at Conserve School
Conserve School
Conserve School is a semester school for environmentally and outdoor minded high school students located in Land O' Lakes, Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States...
in Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, Ellenberger accepted the position as head coach of the girls team at Lakeland Union High School in nearby Minocqua
Minocqua, Wisconsin
Minocqua is a town in north-western Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,385 at the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Minocqua is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Rantz is also located in the town. Minocqua is commonly referred to as "The...
. He finished his career there, retiring at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. He currently is a basketball coach at Conserve School
Conserve School
Conserve School is a semester school for environmentally and outdoor minded high school students located in Land O' Lakes, Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States...
.
In the 2007 release of the Nimrod Nation 8-episode series on the Sundance Channel, Ellenberger appears as an assistant coach for the Watersmeet Nimrods in the 7th episode.
Ellenberger can be briefly seen in the movie, Blue Chips
Blue Chips
Blue Chips is a 1994 drama film about basketball, directed by William Friedkin, written by Ron Shelton and starring Nick Nolte as a college coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway as talented finds....
. He is in a timeout huddle squatting next to Bobby Knight
Bobby Knight
-Indiana:When Indiana University was seeking a new coach in 1971, they turned to Knight. Knight was given the nickname "The General" by former University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons coach-turned-broadcaster Dick Vitale....
.
In the fall of 2009, Ellenberger accepted the position of Assistant Varsity coach at Northland Pines High School in Eagle River, Wisconsin.