John McClendon was a college basketball coach who, despite the respect he earned for his ability, is relatively little-known because he coached at predominantly black colleges and universities during the era of segregation. He began his career playing college ball at the University of Kansas, and coached at North Carolina Central University (then North Carolina College) and Tennessee State University.
He is credited with inventing the half-court press, the four corners, and even the fast break , which he used to great effect to blow out Duke in a secret game played in the 1940s.
