From the Bottom of Iowa, to the Top of the Sport

Countless Iowans remember 1993 as the “Year of the Great Flood”.  A summer when many families, farmers, and businesses lost things dear to them that may not be replaceable.  But others across the Hawkeye state remember it as the year in which one of their greatest traditions came to an end… girls six-on-six basketball. 


Iowa Public Television documentary looked back at girls' 6-on-6 basketball

The basis of the game was the same as regular basketball but with a few exceptions, including teams having 6 players on each side (3 forwards and 3 guards), unlimited dribbling was not allowed, and both forwards and guards handled the ball.  Forwards must stay in their teams' frontcourt and guards must stay in their team's backcourt. Only forwards were allowed to shoot the ball.

Many tri-state basketball fans probably aren’t aware that Iowa was one of the last states to have this format.  Most states removed the game when the Office of Civil Rights started the process of banning the sport in 1958. The last of the schools to phase out this game was Texas in 1978, Iowa in 1993, and Oklahoma in 1995. Six-on-six ended in both Iowa and Oklahoma as a result of Title IX lawsuits filed on behalf of high school players who felt they would have unequal opportunity for scholarships compared to girls from schools that already played five-on-five.


With the loss of the sport, also came the end to one of the nation’s most decorated girls’ six-on-six teams, the Bullettes of Mediapolis High School (Mediapolis, Iowa).  Located 25 miles east of Mount Pleasant in southeast Iowa, the Mediapolis’ program was built by arguably one of the most successful coaches to come out of the tri-state area.

Montrose, Iowa High School Class of 1951

Vernon E. "Bud" McLearn, born in 1933 in Montrose, Iowa, a handful of miles north of Keokuk, graduated from Montrose High School in 1951. According to McLearn's profile on Wikipedia, he began coaching in 1957 at Oakville High School (Oakville, Iowa) and after two seasons became the head coach for the Bullettes of Mediapolis High School during the 1959-1960 season. In 28 seasons he had a career coaching record of 706 wins and 80 loses (an 89.8 winning percentage). During his 26 year tenure at Mediapolis the girls team went 333-8 (97.6 winning percentage) on their home court. This run included consecutive home winning streaks of 97, 84, and 66 games. McLearn's teams qualified for the Iowa state tournament 21 years out of the 28 (including a stretch of 12-straight appearances), with two state championships in 1967 and 1973. He retired in 1987 with the fourth best record in Iowa state basketball history. 

Coach "Bud" McLearn

McLearn was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000. The high school gymnasium at Mediapolis was named McLearn Court in his honor in 2001.  After winning so many battles on the hardwood, Coach McLearn lost his battle with cancer in 1999. He was laid to rest at the Montrose Cemetery, a block away from his childhood home.

Although the final buzzer has sounded for Iowa girls six-on-six basketball, the memories of one of the state’s beloved sports still remain strong today. Over the past decade, books have been written about the game, television specials have aired, and a musical has even been produced.  Women aged 50 and older can also participate in the Granny Basketball League, which formed in Iowa in 2005. The women play by the 1920s rules and wear 1920s-style uniforms. And for the man who led the Mediapolis girl's program to greatness, his accomplishments and guidance will never be forgotten as well.  Peer up towards the wall when walking through the entryway to McLearn Court, and you will see a picture of him prominently displayed.  Then while walking out, ponder the fact that Coach McLearn and his Mediapolis teams walked out of the gym only 8 times, over 26 seasons, on the losing end. That's an amazing feat. Even though Coach McLearn grew up in Montrose, with only hundreds of residents, his contributions and influence on basketball reached millions across the state.   


Coach McLearn's photo hangs on the gym wall

In the summer of 1993, the region of southeastern Iowa, including the communities near Mediapolis, were impacted by the flood as the heavy rains came down and the waters breached the levees on the west banks of the Mississippi River. Over time, the water did recede, houses and business were rebuilt, and personal property was replaced.  But, with the phasing out of six-on-six basketball in Iowa that same year, and with the eventual passing of Coach McLearn a handful of years later, Mediapolis and its surrounding communities did lose a part of themselves, which was not replaceable.  Although gone, their place at the top of Iowa six-on-six basketball is a testament that basketball was more than a game to Coach McLearn and the Bullettes of Mediapolis. That will never be taken away from them.