Howard Bayne, fiercely competitive post player for Tennessee Vols, dies at 75

Howard Bayne, the fiercely competitive post player for Tennessee men's basketball coach Ray Mears in the mid-1960s who earned the plaudits of fans for his take-no-prisoners attitude under the basket, died Monday in Eaton, Ohio. He was 75.

Bayne came to Knoxville from Colonel White High School in Dayton. He was older than most of his teammates, with Mears having discovered him in a “highly competitive AAU industrial league.” He came to UT with guard Larry McIntosh, and they played and led the team well enough to become co-captains of the 1966 team.

During Bayne’s time with the Vols, Mears was building a program that would outgrow the friendly confines of the Armory-Fieldhouse and lead to the expanded arena known as Stokely Athletics Center for the 1966-67 season.

To say Bayne was a tough customer was no understatement. He played at 6-foot-5, 234 pounds, and lettered three years (1963-64, 1964-65, and 1965-66) on teams that earned 16-8, 20-5, and 18-8 records. He averaged 7.8 points and 7.7 rebounds during his career. He wore No. 50 on his white home jersey and No. 51 on his orange road jersey.

Bayne was possibly Mear's greatest intimidator 

Bayne was one of those players, such as McIntosh and Tom Boerwinkle, that Mears believed in, took a chance on, and reaped the harvest, despite the doubters.

“Howard was the greatest intimidator I have ever had on a basketball team,” Mears told the Knoxville Journal’s Ben Byrd in “The Basketball Vols.” “When Howard went after the ball, there weren’t many people who felt like arguing with him.”

In February 1964, Bayne made two critical free throws in a 65-62 win at Vanderbilt. Late in the game, with the outcome still in doubt, the Commodores had fouled Bayne deliberately, a smart move it seemed, given that he shot 54.2 percent from the free-throw line over the course of his career.

“Howard hit the first of his one-and-one and stretched his arms high in a triumphant gesture,” Byrd wrote. “Then he sank the next one, and Tennessee went on to win.”

The 1966 Kentucky game at the Armory-Fieldhouse was Bayne’s finest hour with the Volz. He scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Vols upset the No. 1-ranked Wildcats 69-62, Kentucky’s only loss of the regular season. The Wildcats would not lose again until falling to Texas Western in the finals of the NCAA Tournament. Bayne had a tip-in that gave the Vols a lead they would never relinquish at 55-53 in the final minutes.

“As talented as he was in sports,” his family wrote in his obituary, “he believed there was so much more to life. His great loves were his grandchildren, horses, the Great Smoky Mountains, and he had a passion for the ‘art of the deal.’ As an entrepreneur, he thrived on building businesses that ranged from real estate and development, to antiques, to raising award-winning barrel racing horses, to music publishing.” 

In April of 1966, Bayne signed a football contract with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. He played quarterback and end in high school. He was cut three months later.  

Bayne is survived by three children - Jordan Bayne, Cody Bayne and Matt Bayne.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Pat Summit Foundation, 520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Suite 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902.

There will be a private ceremony for family. A public memorial will be held at a future date to be determined in Knoxville.

Tom Mattingly is a freelance contributor.