Hall of Fame
All-American, 1958
All-Coast and All-WCAC All-Star
WCC 50th Anniversary All-Star Team
USF Career Years: 1955-1958
Birthdate: September 26, 1936
Hometown: Richmond, CA
High School: Richmond High School
Mike Farmer was born on September 26, 1936 in Oklahoma City, OK and he attended Richmond High School in California. At 6’ 7” 210 lbs, he played small forward for the Dons from 1955 to 1958, and was a leading scorer on the freshman team. As a sophomore, he played with Hall of Fame player Bill Russell. He had an effective one-handed jump shot near the key, a solid hook shot close-in (8.4 PPG), and was a solid rebounder (7.7 RPG). His first year of varsity play, he made the All-Coast Team.
Farmer was part of a history-making starting team in 1955 and 1956. USF had made the ground-breaking decision to go against the gentlemen’s agreement, in effect during the early years of basketball, not to play more than two African-American players at a time. Under Head Coach Phil Woolpert, the starting lineup included three African-American players: Bill Russell, K.C. Jones and Hall Perry, along with Carl Boldt and Mike Farmer.
The Richmond Free Press reported in 2020 that it was not always easy for the team on the road. In Oklahoma City in 1954, the Africa-American members of the team were denied hotel lodging. In a show of unity, all the members of the team and the coaches spent the night in a nearby college dorm.
As a junior, he helped the Dons advance their winning streak to 60, and to a third-place finish in the NCAA. He played well at the backboards and extended his RPG to 9.1 and his scoring to 12.0 PPG. In his final year, Farmer was named an All-American as the team finished with a 25-2 record. Setting a record with 29 consecutive free throws, he finished his uSF career as the third-leading scorer, and second-leading rebounder. In addition to his offensive skills, he was also considered the best defensive man in the nation. His jersey (#17) has been retired.
He was drafted in Round 1 (3rd pick overall) by the New York Knicks in the 1958 NBA draft, and played two years for them, then played for the Cincinnati Royals, the San Francisco Saints, and the St. Louis Hawks. In 1966 he briefly coached for the Baltimore Bullets and then returned to USF as Assistant Coach and enrolled as a graduate student. He went on to teach in USF’s Exercise and Sport Science Program until his retirement.
