Charley Eckman
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 10, 1921 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Died | July 3, 1995 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | American |
| Coaching career | 1954–1957 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1954–1957 | Fort Wayne / Detroit Pistons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Charles Markwood "Charley" Eckman, Jr. (September 10, 1921 – July 3, 1995) was an American basketball head coach, and professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA), and sports broadcaster.
Eckman was born in Baltimore, Maryland and graduated from the Baltimore City College high school in 1940. Eckman was a three-sport star as a youngster, excelling in baseball, basketball and track. His father, who was gassed in World War I, died when Charlie was 12 years old; after that he and his mother struggled to make ends meet. Among the odd jobs Eckman did to raise extra money, he officiated basketball games. Baseball was Eckman's primary sport, however, in those days, it was the only professional team sport of any note. He was drafted by the Washington Senators after graduating from Baltimore City College and played in their farm system, but never made it to the majors.
Eckman's career got sidetracked for two years when he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in late 1943, but he continued to keep his eyes in shape by refereeing the Reserve intramural basketball games. Upon his discharge in 1945, Eckman moved his wife and newborn son to Arizona, where he had been stationed. He continued to officiate basketball games, this time with the American League West Coast, while working for the Phoenix office of the War Assets Administration.
The American Basketball League's Hollywood Shamrocks called in 1947 and hired him to officiate a number of the team's games; two years after that he began refereeing games for the Basketball Association of America. The BAA merged with the National Basketball League in late 1949 and became the National Basketball Association.
Eckman was ranked as one of the top officials in the NBA during his time as an referee, until 1954, when Pistons owner Fred Zollner signed the 32-year-old Eckman to a three-year coaching contract.
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