Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State University Alumni Athletes Remember Ram Legend Floyd Kerr
2/9/2023 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
A look back at the life of Floyd Kerr
By: John Hirn
The CSU athletic family has lost a true legend this week as it was learned that CSU Hall of Fame inductee and former assistant coach Floyd Kerr passed away at the age of 76 on Saturday, February 4th. Former teammates of Kerr looked back on their friend and mentor, a man who left a legacy at CSU.
Floyd Kerr was born November 20, 1946, in Oxford, Mississippi, along with his twin brother Lloyd. The family moved to South Bend, Indiana where they both excelled in basketball. Kerr's former teammate, Doug Peden was also from Indiana and remembered a story about the Kerr brothers that remains an Indiana legend. Peden said this week, "My hometown, Marion, played South Bend Washington in the afternoon game of the semi-state round of the state basketball tournament. I hadn't moved to Marion yet, but the stories of that game made me have to ask Floyd what went on. Supposedly one of the Kerr brothers was in foul trouble in the first half and the Marion fans thought that the Kerr twins switched jerseys at halftime. Then I asked Floyd about it, he said "no," of course and I figured out soon Floyd was left-handed, and Lloyd was right-handed. I could not convince my friends in Marion that nothing happened, so to this day they think the Kerr twins pulled a fast one."
Floyd and his brother were recruited to play basketball for Coach Jim Williams by another CSU legend, Boyd Grant and the two excelled in Fort Collins as tremendous athletes from 1966 to 1969, playing on the 1969 Rams team that made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. In an interview with Kerr's former teammate Marty Hess, he looked back on how Floyd, along with Lloyd and Cliff Shegogg treated him as a freshman. Hess said, "Those three guys were some of the nicest guys I have met. They helped me as a kid from Hawaii and when I saw them play, I thought I was out of my league, but they brought me up to be a varsity starter." Hess later said, "Floyd could really shoot from outside, if they would have had the 3-point shot in those days, he would have been an outstanding 3-point shooter too."
Bob Caton, another teammate of Kerr's said this week, "When I first arrived as a freshman, Floyd and Lloyd were juniors, so for my first two years at CSU I had a steady time of guarding them in practice. It was an education. But both of them were so willing to help me and the younger players."
Floyd never had a chance to play in a conference game as CSU was an independent school during his entire career as a Rams player. While he reached several scoring and rebounding totals, his talents were not rewarded with any all-conference selections. Several of those who watched him play agree he would have won WAC awards had CSU been in the conference when Floyd played.
After his career at CSU, Floyd Kerr was drafted by the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Los Angeles Stars of the ABA along with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL despite never having played football at CSU. It was in 1974, when Floyd made his debut as an assistant coach at CSU, returning to his alma mater as the first black assistant coach in CSU Men's Basketball History. Floyd was the consummate teacher and willing to help anybody. Bob Caton said, "Later on, when Floyd was a coach at CSU and I was starting my high school coaching, he was there again to always have a hand to help me out. A very great man that helped so many."
Floyd became a consummate assistant coach and when Jim Williams was let go after the 1980 season, many thought Floyd would be promoted as the new head coach of CSU basketball. Doug Peden said, "I wish he would have had a chance to coach the Rams, but he found his niche as a quality college athletic administrator."
Floyd Kerr did have a very distinguished career as an athletic administrator after coaching the Youngstown Pride of the World Basketball league in 1992. He went on to be the assistant athletic director at Southern University for seven years and then was promoted to athletic director for six years. In 2004, Sports Illustrated ranked him 75th among the 101 most influential minorities in sports. He then moved to Morgan State University as their athletic director from 2005 to 2016 guiding the Bears' athletics until his retirement.
Floyd Kerr was inducted into the CSU athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and remains as one of the greatest Rams in CSU Men's Basketball history. Doug Peden summed up his feelings this week saying, "I will miss him as he was someone I looked up to and admired."
The CSU athletic family has lost a true legend this week as it was learned that CSU Hall of Fame inductee and former assistant coach Floyd Kerr passed away at the age of 76 on Saturday, February 4th. Former teammates of Kerr looked back on their friend and mentor, a man who left a legacy at CSU.
Floyd Kerr was born November 20, 1946, in Oxford, Mississippi, along with his twin brother Lloyd. The family moved to South Bend, Indiana where they both excelled in basketball. Kerr's former teammate, Doug Peden was also from Indiana and remembered a story about the Kerr brothers that remains an Indiana legend. Peden said this week, "My hometown, Marion, played South Bend Washington in the afternoon game of the semi-state round of the state basketball tournament. I hadn't moved to Marion yet, but the stories of that game made me have to ask Floyd what went on. Supposedly one of the Kerr brothers was in foul trouble in the first half and the Marion fans thought that the Kerr twins switched jerseys at halftime. Then I asked Floyd about it, he said "no," of course and I figured out soon Floyd was left-handed, and Lloyd was right-handed. I could not convince my friends in Marion that nothing happened, so to this day they think the Kerr twins pulled a fast one."
Floyd and his brother were recruited to play basketball for Coach Jim Williams by another CSU legend, Boyd Grant and the two excelled in Fort Collins as tremendous athletes from 1966 to 1969, playing on the 1969 Rams team that made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. In an interview with Kerr's former teammate Marty Hess, he looked back on how Floyd, along with Lloyd and Cliff Shegogg treated him as a freshman. Hess said, "Those three guys were some of the nicest guys I have met. They helped me as a kid from Hawaii and when I saw them play, I thought I was out of my league, but they brought me up to be a varsity starter." Hess later said, "Floyd could really shoot from outside, if they would have had the 3-point shot in those days, he would have been an outstanding 3-point shooter too."
Bob Caton, another teammate of Kerr's said this week, "When I first arrived as a freshman, Floyd and Lloyd were juniors, so for my first two years at CSU I had a steady time of guarding them in practice. It was an education. But both of them were so willing to help me and the younger players."
Floyd never had a chance to play in a conference game as CSU was an independent school during his entire career as a Rams player. While he reached several scoring and rebounding totals, his talents were not rewarded with any all-conference selections. Several of those who watched him play agree he would have won WAC awards had CSU been in the conference when Floyd played.
After his career at CSU, Floyd Kerr was drafted by the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Los Angeles Stars of the ABA along with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL despite never having played football at CSU. It was in 1974, when Floyd made his debut as an assistant coach at CSU, returning to his alma mater as the first black assistant coach in CSU Men's Basketball History. Floyd was the consummate teacher and willing to help anybody. Bob Caton said, "Later on, when Floyd was a coach at CSU and I was starting my high school coaching, he was there again to always have a hand to help me out. A very great man that helped so many."
Floyd became a consummate assistant coach and when Jim Williams was let go after the 1980 season, many thought Floyd would be promoted as the new head coach of CSU basketball. Doug Peden said, "I wish he would have had a chance to coach the Rams, but he found his niche as a quality college athletic administrator."
Floyd Kerr did have a very distinguished career as an athletic administrator after coaching the Youngstown Pride of the World Basketball league in 1992. He went on to be the assistant athletic director at Southern University for seven years and then was promoted to athletic director for six years. In 2004, Sports Illustrated ranked him 75th among the 101 most influential minorities in sports. He then moved to Morgan State University as their athletic director from 2005 to 2016 guiding the Bears' athletics until his retirement.
Floyd Kerr was inducted into the CSU athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and remains as one of the greatest Rams in CSU Men's Basketball history. Doug Peden summed up his feelings this week saying, "I will miss him as he was someone I looked up to and admired."
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