Education
A native of Terre Haute, Indiana, Cottom attended Wiley High School and earned four varsity letters playing for the basketball team
A native of Terre Haute, Indiana, Cottom attended Wiley High School and earned four varsity letters playing for the basketball team
He led the Red Streaks to 3 IHSAA Sectionals and 1 Regionals, reaching the state semi-finals in 1931 His High School teammate, John Miklozek would become a star at Indiana State University. Cottom was also an all-state performer in football. Cottom played college basketball at Purdue University under Piggy Lambert.
He played on the varsity team for three seasons, and as a junior in 1933-1934, Cottom led the Western Conference in scoring.
He was named a consensus National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American at the end of the season. After college, Cottom played for the Indianapolis Kautskys for two seasons and one season with the United States. Navy Pre-Flight team
He moved into high school coaching in Alexandria and Terre Haute, Indiana (Gerstmeyer High and Wiley High) before moving to Fullerton, California to become chairman of Fullerton Union High School"s social studies department. In 1978, Cottom was enshrined in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.