Kenneth Suesens

Kenneth Glenn Suesens


Born:
October 23, 1916
Des Moines, IA   

Died:
May 29, 1992
Sheboygan, WI 


Career
Burlington High School - Iowa (High School)
1935-36 University of Iowa (College)
1936-37 University of Iowa (College)
1937-38 University of Iowa (College)
1938-39 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1939-40 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1940-41 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1941-42 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1942-43 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1943-44 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1945-46 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1946-47 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1947-48 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL)
1947-48 Seattle Athletics (PCBL)
1948-49 Sheboygan Redskins (NBL) - Player/Head Coach
1949-50 Sheboygan Redskins (NBA) - Head Coach
1950-51 Sheboygan Redskins (NPBL) - Head Coach
1951-52 Valparaiso University (College) - Head Coach
1952-53 Valparaiso University (College) - Head Coach
1953-54 Valparaiso University (College) - Head Coach
1954-55 Valparaiso University (College) - Head Coach
1955-56 Valparaiso University (College) - Head Coach
1956-57 Valparaiso University (College) - Head Coach
1957-58 Valparaiso University (College) - Head Coach

Born in Iowa to John F. Suesens (1885-1930) and Martha Duran. He played basketball at Iowa, and during his senior year he ruptured a blood vessel at practice and spent four days in the hospital. He went on from Iowa to a long successful career with Sheboygan, leading them through the 1943 NBL championship. He requested and was granted a released from the Redskins in December of 1948 so he could join the Seattle Athletics of the Pacific Coast League, but the team (and the league) folded after the season, and Suesens returned to the Redskins, this time as the head coach and part-time player. He coached the team as it joined the NBA in the following season, and one more as the team moved to the smaller NPBL. From there, he spent seven seasons as the head coach at Valpo. An avid golfer, Suesens was the golf pro at the Pine Hills Country Club in Sheboygan until retiring in 1982. It was on a journey to said golf club to play a round of the game in 1992 that he suffered a fatal heart attack.

He served in the navy during World War 2, spending his days on the Yorktown.

Source:
Herald and News (Klaman Falls, OR), December 31, 1947
Sheboygan Press, May 30, 1992

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/s/sueseke01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=sueseke01