Jack Kraft facts for kids
Karaft from the 1975 Renaissance
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 10, 1921 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | August 28, 2014 (aged 93) Cape May Court House, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1939–1942 | Saint Joseph's |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1948–1960 | Bishop Neumann HS |
| 1960–1961 | Malvern Prep |
| 1961–1973 | Villanova |
| 1973–1980 | Rhode Island |
John Jack Kraft (born February 10, 1921 – died August 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach. He is best known for coaching the Villanova men's basketball team for 12 years.
Contents
Meet Coach Jack Kraft
Jack Kraft was a very successful basketball coach. He coached at the college level for many years. His teams were known for their strong performance. He led them to many important tournaments.
Coaching the Villanova Wildcats
Coach Kraft led the Villanova Wildcats from 1961 to 1973. During his time there, his team won 238 games and lost only 95. This is a great winning record!
He took Villanova to the NCAA Tournament six times. They also went to the NIT five times. Only once did his team not make it to a postseason tournament.
In 1971, his team, led by star player Howard Porter, made it all the way to the NCAA Championship game. They played against UCLA, which was a very strong team at the time. Villanova lost that game. Later, that championship appearance was removed from the official records. This happened because Howard Porter was found to be ineligible. He had signed a professional contract during his senior year.
Star Players He Coached
Many talented players played for Coach Kraft at Villanova. Some of these famous players include:
- Chris Ford
- Tom Ingelsby
- Wali Jones
- Bill Melchionni
- Howard Porter
- Hank Simeontkowski
- Jim Washington
- Hubie White
Coaching Beyond Villanova
After leaving Villanova, Coach Kraft also coached the Rhode Island Rams. He coached them from 1973 to 1980. His overall coaching record, including his time at Rhode Island, was 341 wins and 183 losses. This record does not include the games that were later removed from the books.
A Lasting Memory
Jack Kraft passed away on August 28, 2014, when he was 93 years old. He died in Cape May County, New Jersey. To honor his memory, the Villanova basketball players wore a special "JK" sticker on their uniforms during the 2014–15 season. This showed how much he meant to the team.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
