Career
He is best known as the head basketball coach at the University of Southern California for 16 seasons, from 1950 to 1966. Born in Kingsley, Iowa, Twogood was three-sport athlete at Central High School in Sioux City, then played basketball and baseball at the University of Iowa, before being signed by Branch Rickey"s Saint Louis Cardinals. A left-handed pitcher, he played four seasons of minor league baseball while spending his winters in Los Angeles as an assistant basketball coach at University of Southern California under Sam Barry, his coach at Iowa, from 1929 to 1936.
After arm trouble led to his retirement from baseball in 1934, Twogood was the head coach at Idaho from 1936 to 1941, and San Francisco for a season (1941-1942).
While at Idaho, he was also the Vandals" baseball coach (1937-1941). During World World War II, Twogood served in the United States. Navy, then worked in the private sector and also as supervisor of officials in the Pacific Coast Conference.
He returned to University of Southern California as an assistant under Barry in 1949, and when Barry died of a heart attack in September 1950, Twogood was promoted to head coach and served for 16 seasons. In 22 seasons as a head coach, he compiled a 317-260 (549) record, with two conference championships and three National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament appearances, including the Final Four in 1954.
After stepping down from coaching in 1966, Twogood was an assistant athletic director at University of Southern California. The auditorium at the university"s Heritage Hall is named in his honor.
Its bronze plaque reads:
"Athlete and coach, able administrator, dedicated sportsman, man of courage, honor and compassion, Forrest Twogood is synonymous with the athletic heritage of the University of Southern California. He served University of Southern California and intercollegiate athletics with brilliance and devotion. The university is proud to express its love and esteem for Twogie by designating this hall forever in his name."
Diagnosed with inoperable lymph gland cancer in late 1971, Twogood died in April 1972 at Glendale Memorial Hospital in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, a few days shy of his 65th birthday.
