Bio

A member of the famed Merry Magicians Team of the early 1930s, Joe Kounovsky helped build a basketball record at Midland that has never been equaled.  The 1934 team won the Nebraska College Athletic Conference, climaxing a record of four consecutive championships and 36 victories in 40 games.  Remembered for his playmaking, defensive skills, and speed, Joe won all-conference honors for several years.  He was also a letterman in tennis.  After graduation, he played in AAU competitions and in the U.S. Army.  Always interested in youth, he gave a lifetime of service to athletics as a coach and league official.  He was a churchman, athlete, builder of youth, and public servant.  For more than 30 years, he held important professional duties with the State of Nebraska Department of Highways.  Joe is remembered, not only as a member of the Merry Magicians but as a distinguished alumnus of the institution who represented its highest ideals.