Tom Bolyard Biography
Tom Bolyard is an American basketball player that played for Indiana University. Bolyard was a forward for the Hoosiers for three seasons between 1960-1963 where he scored over 1200 points and awarded First Team All-Big Ten. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native attended Fort Wayne South High School where he won the 1958 IHSAA State Championship. Bolyard served as an assistant coach for the Hoosiers from 1965-1971 and later inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
- Name: Tom Bolyard
- Position: Forward
- Nationality: USA
- Birthday: January 12
- Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind.
- High School: Fort Wayne South
- Height: 6’4″ (193 cm)
- Weight: 195 (88 kg)
- Seasons: 3 (1960-1963)
- Jersey: #45
- NBA Draft: 1963 / Round 3 / Pick 19th (Chicago Zephyrs)
Accolades and Awards
- First Team All-Big Ten (1963)
- IU Gimbel Award Recipient (1963)
- IHSAA Silver Anniversary Team (1984)
- IHSAA Hall of Fame Inductee (1992)
- Indiana University Hall of Fame Inductee (1998)
Tom Bolyard High School Career
Tom Bolyard played high school basketball for Fort Wayne South High School. He was a two-time member of the All-State team and led South to the 1958 IHSAA State Championship where they won 63-34 against Crawfordsville.
The Fort Wayne native graduated in 1959 as South’s all-time leading scorer. His performance from high school received recognition years later as he was a member of the 1984 IHSAA Silver Anniversary Team. Then, Bolyard was inducted into the IHSAA Hall of Fame.
Tom Bolyard Seasons with the Hoosiers
15-9 (8-6 Big Ten)
13-11 (7-7 Big Ten)
13-11 (9-5 Big Ten)
Tom Bolyard Indiana University Statistics
| Season | G | FG | FGA | FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-1961 | 24 | 155 | 365 | 0.425 | 61 | 99 | 0.616 | 219 | 67 | 371 |
| 1961-1962 | 24 | 184 | 415 | 0.443 | 79 | 111 | 0.712 | 229 | 71 | 447 |
| 1962-1963 | 24 | 192 | 402 | 0.478 | 97 | 139 | 0.698 | 180 | 55 | 481 |
| Career | 72 | 531 | 1182 | 0.449 | 237 | 349 | 0.679 | 628 | 193 | 1299 |
Tom Bolyard Indiana University Career
Bolyard was a three year starter for the Indiana Hoosiers from 1960-1963 under the direction of head coach Branch McCracken.
His first season as a starter did not come until his sophomore season in 1960 as freshman were not allowed to play until 1972. Bolyard averaged 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and was the Hoosiers’ second leading scorer behind Walt Bellamy. Indiana went 15-9 and finished fourth in the Big Ten.
Bolyard’s production increased in his junior season as he recorded 19.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 44% from the field. With Indiana’s offensive firepower between Bolyard, Jimmy Rayl, and Jerry Bass the 1961-1962 Hoosiers averaged 87.0 points per game. However, McCracken’s defense gave up 88.0 points per game as Indiana went 7-7 in the conference for another fourth place finish.
As a team captain during his senior season, Bolyard averaged 20.0 points per game while shooting 47% from the floor. The senior ranked third in the conference in scoring and named First Team All-Big Ten during the 1963 season. Bolyard averaged 18 points per game for his career, putting him 10th on IU’s all-time career scoring average list. He tallied 1,299 points and 628 rebounds during his tenure at Indiana.
Tom Bolyard Life After Indiana
The Chicago Zephyrs drafted Bolyard as the 19th pick in the third round of the 1963 NBA Draft. His time in the league was short and he came back to Bloomington serving as an assistant coach for the Hoosiers from 1965-1971. The former Hoosier was inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
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