March 2, 2012
San Antonio – Even in retirement, St. Mary’s legend Herman “Buddy” Meyer can’t quite stay away from the limelight.
The Rattlers’ iconic longtime men’s basketball coach has been named to the NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the NAIA basketball tournament. Meyer was one of 75 people named to the team, which was announced, comprising of 60 athletes and 15 coaches.
Meyer was the head coach at St. Mary’s for 27 years from 1978-2005, going 530-252 with 17 conference championships, seven NAIA District VI crowns, three NCAA Division II appearances and, of course, the famed NAIA national championship in 1989. He also served as the University’s Athletics Director for 21 years, overseeing the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.
Meyer played a key role in St. Mary’s athletics for 41 years – a wide-ranging career that included legendary stints as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
He has since gone on to be inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, including the St. Mary’s Hall of Fame, the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame and the Heartland Conference Hall of Fame.
Meyer’s No. 44 hangs in the rafters inside Bill Greehey Arena, and he still ranks fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,581 career points. A 1965 graduate of St. Mary’s, he became the first St. Mary’s student-athlete to earn first-team All-Conference honors for four consecutive years. He was also a key part of the team that in 1964 defeated No. 1-ranked Grambling in the second round of the NAIA tournament. It was written in papers at the time that it was the biggest upset in the history of the NAIA tournament.
In 2007, the Rattlers’ court was renamed Buddy and Anna Meyer Court in the honor of he and his wife, Anna. Their son, Bubba, is currently an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team.