Bennie Purcell

Mr. Bennie Purcell age 86, of Murray, Kentucky, died Friday, February 12, 2016 at his home.
Bennie was born December 10, 1929 in Mount Vernon, Illinois, to the late Floyd Allen Purcell and Audrey Thornton Purcell. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Dean Fanning Purcell.
Bennie is survived by two sons, Del Purcell and wife Susan of Louisville, Kentucky, and Mel Purcell of Murray, Kentucky; also two grandchildren, Alex and Maddie Purcell both of Louisville, Kentucky.
Purcell's legend was well known in collegiate basketball and tennis circles as a coach and outstanding player that started from his days of playing basketball for the Murray State Racers in the late 1940's. Purcell came to Murray State in the fall of 1948 and was one of its best ambassadors. When the Ohio Valley Conference was formed in 1948, Purcell became one of the league's superstars and helped the Racers win their first OVC basketball championship in 1951. He was a two-time All-OVC pick and in 1952, was named the most valuable player in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Basketball Tournament (NAIA). In addition, Purcell was an All-America by Converse, United Press International and Associated Press. Purcell was the first Racer to reach 1,000 career points and was named to the OVC's 40th anniversary basketball team in 1988. His no. 21 jersey was retired in 1952 and hangs in the rafters of Murray State's CFSB Center.
After his college career, Purcell toured with the Harlem Globetrotters before returning to Murray to serve as assistant basketball coach under Cal Luther and later became MSU's tennis coach in 1969.
Purcell was the right coach for the Racer Tennis program. His teams won the OVC title in his first year as tennis coach. It was the first of 11 championships. Purcell's Racers did something that is still unheard of. They swept an entire decade by winning 10-straight OVC men's tennis championships in the 1980's. Purcell was named OVC Coach of the Year eight times.
Purcell was a six-time hall of fame selection including: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) (1969), Murray State Athletics (1969), Ohio Valley Conference (1990), Kentucky USTA (1994), Intercollegiate Tennis Association (1999) and Mount Vernon High School (2011)
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Online condolences can be made at www.thejhchurchillfuneralhome.com