Coaching Career
When Washington and Lee coach, Jimmy DeHart, was hired by Duke, Cameron followed him to coach the freshman team. After Wallace Wade was lured away from University of Alabama by Duke, school administrators urged him to retain Cameron. Cameron eventually became the backfield coach, scout, and recruiter for Wade. In 1929, he got the additional responsibility of head basketball coach, a position he kept until 1949.
Cameron's first two Duke basketball teams made the Southern Conference tournament finals even as a new team in the league. Cameron's teams had a 226–99 record (.695), 119–56 (.680) in conference play, during his 14 years as head coach, which included conference championships in 1938, 1941 and 1942. During his tenure, in 1940, Duke built the largest basketball arena south of the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cameron coached the first game, a 36–27 victory over Princeton University, on January 6, 1940. That arena would eventually come to bear his name.
After Wade entered the military service in World War II, Cameron became the head football coach. In four years Cameron's teams won three conference championships, compiled a record of 25–11–1 and won the 1945 Sugar Bowl by beating Alabama, 29–26. Cameron became permanent Director of Physical Education and Athletics in 1946 when Wade returned and resumed coaching football.
Read more about this topic: Eddie Cameron
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