Excerpts from The Crimson and Blue Handbook:

Allen, who served as chairman of the research committee of the National Basketball Rules Committee, pushed for several rule changes throughout his career – especially raising the goals to 12 feet, which he felt would de-emphasize post play.  “If we raised the goals” he said in 1940, “these mezzanine-peeping goons wouldn’t be able to score like little children pushing pennies into gum machines.  They would have to throw the ball like anyone else.  They would have to make the team on real skill, not merely on height.” p. 32

Allen drew some fire in 1940 with the statement that college football was dying and would be around for about 10 more years.  He said the college game served only as a training ground for the pros. In a Dec. 5, 1940 article in the Kansas City Times, Allen also said he hoped basketball would never go “big time,” and complained about that season’s trip to New York and Philadelphia for road games in front of big crowds.  “If I had my way, we wouldn’t go,” he said.  “I would rather stay home in our own gym and work on fundamentals.  That’s where Big Six titles are won, working at home in the Christmas holidays.  But the boys want a big trip.  They always have, so finally they are getting one.” p. 34

When the dribble was abolished in basketball, Allen became so angry that he quickly formed a meeting of coaches in Des Moines, Iowa, after the Drake Relays.  Allen spread so much dissention toward the new rule that it was overturned, and the dribble was back in the game.  From that protest, the national Association of Basketball Coaches was created, with Allen as the organization’s first president.  p. 38

In January 1943, Phog Allen was designated as “the greatest basketball coach of all time” in the collegiate basketball record from the Helms Foundation of Los Angeles. The organization contacted coaches and basketball authorities across the country in conducting its survey.   p. 40