Personal information | |
---|---|
Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
February 21, 1925
Died | April 28, 2014 Naples, Florida |
(aged 89)
Nationality | American |
Career information | |
High school |
Upper Darby (Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania) |
College |
Saint Joseph's (1942–1943; 1946–1949) |
Coaching career | 1955–1988 |
Career history | |
As coach: | |
1955–1966 | Saint Joseph's |
1968–1972 | Philadelphia 76ers |
1972–1976 | Buffalo Braves |
1976–1986 | Portland Trail Blazers |
1986–1988 | Indiana Pacers |
Career highlights and awards | |
As coach: As executive: |
|
Basketball Hall of Fame as coach | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
As coach:
As executive:
John Travilla "Jack" Ramsay (February 21, 1925 – April 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" (as he held an earned doctorate, see below). He was best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio. Ramsay was among the most respected coaches in NBA history and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2009–10 NBA season.
Growing up in Milford, Connecticut, Jack Ramsay was encouraged to participate in sports in grade school by his parents, Anne and John. With his family moving to a Philadelphia suburb, Ramsay graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1942. Years after playing basketball, baseball and soccer in high school, he was inducted into the school's Wall of Fame in 1979. Strongly encouraged by his mother to attend college, Ramsay entered Saint Joseph's College. Ramsay's college career was interrupted by three years of service in the US Navy during World War II. Ramsay played both basketball and baseball at St. Joseph's. In his senior year, Ramsay was coached in baseball by Pep Young, a teammate of professional baseball star Ty Cobb. In 1949, Ramsay became the first member of his family to receive a college bachelor's degree. In 1962, Ramsay obtained his master's degree and in 1963 his doctorate degree in education, both from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.