▁trad ed ▁to ▁the ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁Haw ks ▁for ▁future ▁draft ▁pick s . ▁ ▁Instead ▁of ▁reporting ▁to ▁the ▁Haw ks , ▁Y ates ▁signed ▁with ▁the ▁Oak land ▁O aks ▁of ▁the ▁fled gel ing ▁American ▁Basketball ▁League . ▁ ▁While ▁Y ates ▁found ▁a ▁product ive ▁role ▁with ▁the ▁team , ▁aver aging ▁ 1 0 . 7 ▁points ▁and ▁ 8 . 7 ▁reb ounds ▁per ▁game , ▁the ▁league ▁fol ded ▁before ▁the ▁season ▁ended . ▁ ▁Y ates ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Kn icks ▁training ▁camp ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 3 – 6 4 ▁NBA ▁season , ▁however ▁he ▁failed ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁team . ▁ ▁Co aching ▁career ▁Y ates ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁al ma ▁mater , ▁M emph is ▁State , ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁to ▁head ▁coach ▁Mo e ▁I ba ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁When ▁I ba ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁new ▁coach ▁Gene ▁Bart ow ▁retained ▁Y ates ▁as ▁an ▁assistant . ▁ ▁Y ates ▁helped ▁MS U ▁to ▁their ▁first ▁Final ▁Four , ▁as ▁the ▁up start ▁Tig ers ▁made ▁it ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁NCAA ▁tournament ▁final , ▁losing ▁to ▁U CLA . ▁ ▁After ▁one ▁more ▁season , ▁Bart ow ▁left ▁for ▁Illinois ▁and ▁Y ates ▁was ▁elev ated ▁to ▁head ▁coach . ▁ ▁The ▁young ▁coach ▁had ▁a ▁successful ▁ten ure ▁at ▁M emph is ▁State , ▁leading