Oldham came to Western Kentucky University in 1942 after earning All-State honors at Hartford High School. In 1943 he left college to serve in the US Navy during World War II. He returned to the college in 1946, graduating in 1949. The teams he played on at Western were nationally ranked, participated in three National Invitation Tournaments, including a 3rd-place finish in 1948, won three KIAC titles, one SIAA championship, and the first Ohio Valley Conference title. He was a United Press and Associated Press All-American in 1949. After college, he played for the Fort Wayne Pistons of the National Basketball Association. In 1952 he began his coaching career at College High School in Bowling Green, KY. In his first year as coach, he led the boys' basketball team to the state tournament. Oldham was hired to coach Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles men's basketball in 1955. He led the school to three conference championships and its first two appearances in the NCAA tournament. Oldham returned to coach his alma mater, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, in 1964, taking over for his former coach Edgar Diddle who retired after 42 years at the school. In seven seasons, he finished 146-41 with a 78% winning percentage, leading them to four NCAA tournaments and an NIT berth while winning five Ohio Valley Conference championships. He led the Hilltoppers to the 1971 NCAA Tournament to the Final Four and finished third overall. Their third-place finish was later vacated by the NCAA due to allegations that one of their players, Jim McDaniels, had signed a professional contract prior to the end of the season. He was named Ohio Valley Conference coach of the year four times. In 1971 Oldham was named Athletic Director for WKU, and served in that position until his retirement in 1986. During his tenure as AD, WKU won six OVC All-Sports Championships and one Sun Belt Conference All-Sports Championship. He oversaw the football program upgrading from NCAA Division 2 to Division 1AA in 1978, the school leaving the OVC and joining the Sun Belt Conference in 1982, and the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball team becoming one of the top programs in the country. He also hired the school's first African American Head Coach, Clem Haskins as men's basketball coach, in 1980. He has been inducted into the Lions Club Kentucky High School Hall of Fame, Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame, Kentucky High School Hall of Fame, Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame and WKU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Cultural impact
The 1971 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers NCAA Final-4 basketball team was the first Kentucky collegiate basketball team to start five African-American players. Coach Oldham started Clarence Glover, Jim McDaniels, Jim Rose, Jerry Dunn and Rex Bailey. Oldham was highly pressured not to start all five together, but said "they are my best five players." The concept of WKU's Red Towel athletics logo was developed by John Oldham in 1971, based on Ed Diddle's use of a red towel while coaching games. As athletic director, in 1980 he hired WKU's first African-American head coach, former WKU All-American Clem Haskins as men's head basketball coach. On December 27, 2012, WKU honored Oldham in a pregame ceremony in which the court at EA Diddle Arena was named "John Oldham Court." Oldham was a player, assistant and head men's basketball coach, and athletic director during his time at WKU.
Head coaching record
* 1971 NCAA Tournament participation later vacated by the NCAA
