Jack Friel – Big Sky Conference, Commissioner, 1963-71
After coaching Washington State men’s basketball for 30 years and leading the Cougars to an NCAA runner-up finish in 1941, Jack Friel became the first Big Sky Commissioner in 1963. Spearheaded by Friel, the Big Sky’s formation was driven by basketball and basketball scheduling. Five of the original six charter members – Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State and Weber State – are currently in the Big Sky. A widely respected individual across the NCAA basketball landscape, Friel is credited with developing the one-and-one free throw rule. As Big Sky Commissioner, he helped the conference earn an automatic bid to the national tournament during a time when not every league earned an automatic berth. Prior to joining the Big Sky Conference, Friel served as a Pac-10 basketball supervisor of officials being named to league’s Hall of Honor in 2003. He was inducted into the Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame and honored with the naming of Friel Court in 1978.