Bill Raftery
| Sport(s) | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born | April 19, 1943 |
| Playing career | |
| Basketball | |
| 1961–1964 | La Salle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Basketball | |
| 1965–1970 | Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham |
| 1970–1981 | Seton Hall |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 217–188 (basketball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| New Jersey Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year (1979) | |
Bill Raftery (born April 19, 1943) is an American basketball analyst and former college basketball coach.
Raftery attended Saint Cecilia High School in Kearny, New Jersey, where he starred in basketball and became the all-time leading scorer in state history with 2,192 points, a record finally surpassed after 35 years. He earned all-state honors in basketball and led his team to the state championship in his senior season. He was also named all-state in baseball and soccer. He has been named, retroactively, Mr. Basketball USA for 1959.
Raftery played at La Salle University under coach Donald "Dudey" Moore. During his freshman year he scored a freshman record 370 points, followed by a team leading 17.8 points per game in his sophomore year. As a senior, he co-captained the Explorers to the National Invitation Tournament.
Following his senior year at La Salle, Raftery was drafted by the NBA's New York Knicks, making it to the final cut, but he never played in the NBA.
From 1970 to 1981, he was the head coach of Seton Hall University, where he posted a 154–141 record and led the Pirates to four ECAC post-season tournaments and two National Invitational Tournament appearances. In 1979, he was named Coach of the Year by the New Jersey Sports Writers Association. His 154 wins as a coach places him fourth on the all-time list at Seton Hall behind Honey Russell, P.J. Carlesimo, and Frank Hill.
Prior to his head-coaching position at Seton Hall, he was at Fairleigh Dickinson University at Florham Park, New Jersey where he coached basketball and golf, and also served as Associate Athletic Director.
Nicknamed "The Coach" by many of his broadcasting colleagues, Raftery has consecutively served as an analyst and play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports' college basketball coverage for over 33 years.
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