Ben Carnevale facts for kids
Carnevale (left) with his assistant coach Pete Mullis during the 1944–45 season
|
|
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 30, 1915 Raritan, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | March 25, 2008 (aged 92) Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1933–1937 | NYU |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1944–1946 | North Carolina |
| 1946–1966 | Navy |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1966–1972 | NYU |
| 1972–1981 | William & Mary |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 309–171 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| SoCon tournament (1945) SoCon regular season (1946) |
|
| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1970 |
|
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
|
Bernard Louis Carnevale (born October 30, 1915 – died March 25, 2008) was a famous American basketball coach. He was also a college sports leader, known as an athletic director.
He coached basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1944 to 1946. Later, he coached the United States Naval Academy from 1946 to 1966. During his coaching career, his teams won 309 games and lost 171. After coaching, Carnevale became the athletic director at New York University (1966–1972). He then worked at the College of William & Mary (1972–1981). He was honored for his great career by being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.
Early Life and College Years
Ben Carnevale was born in Raritan, New Jersey. He went to Somerville High School. After high school, he studied at New York University (NYU).
While at NYU, he was a basketball player. He was part of the 1935 team that won a national championship. He also played in the very first National Invitation Tournament in 1938. His coach at NYU was the well-known Howard Cann. During World War II, Carnevale served as an officer in the Navy. He was awarded the Purple Heart medal for his service.
Coaching Career Highlights
Carnevale started his head coaching career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He coached the Tar Heels from 1944 to 1946. He led the team to their first-ever appearance in a national championship game. They played against Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State). The Tar Heels lost that game to a strong team coached by Henry Iba.
After North Carolina, Carnevale became the coach at the Navy. He coached there for 20 years, from 1946 to 1966. His record at Navy was 257 wins and 160 losses. This was impressive because the Naval Academy had a rule. Players could not be taller than 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters). This rule made it harder to find tall basketball players. In 1970, Ben Carnevale was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Later Life
At the time of his death, Ben Carnevale was living in Williamsburg, Virginia. His son, Mark, became a professional golfer. Mark has won tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.
