Dale Lewis

In a long coaching career, Dale Lewis won everywhere he went. But nobody won like he did at Miami. From 1958-64, Lewis’ Hurricanes won an NCAA-record 137 consecutive matches. In 22 seasons at Miami, Lewis’ teams compiled 364 dual-match wins, versus just 35 losses. That’s a winning percentage of 91.2. Only three of his 22 teams finished the season outside of the top 10 in the rankings. Before heading to Miami, Lewis coached at Indiana from 1949-57, taking a program that floundered at the bottom of the Big Ten to the top. The Hoosiers had only won six matches during the five seasons prior to his arrival, but under Lewis, they won three conference championships and finished runner-up twice in his eight seasons in Bloomington. Lewis’ IU teams went 51-11 during his tenure, twice going undefeated in the Big Ten. Lewis, who also served in the U.S. Army during World War II before starting his coaching career, has been inducted into both the Indiana and Miami halls of fame. Lewis died in 1999 at age 78.