Jack Ramsay facts for kids
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Ramsay in 1977
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 21, 1925 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 2014 (aged 89) Naples, Florida, U.S. |
| High school | Upper Darby (Upper Darby, Pennsylvania) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Saint Joseph's (1942–1943, 1946–1949) |
| Pro career | 1949–1955 |
| Coaching career | 1955–1988 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1949–1951 | Harrisburg Senators |
| 1951–1955 | Sunbury Mercuries |
| 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 player:
As coach:
As executive:
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John Travilla Ramsay (born February 21, 1925 – died April 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach. He was often called "Dr. Jack" because he had a special advanced university degree called a doctorate. He is most famous for leading the Portland Trail Blazers to win the NBA championship in 1977. He also worked as a sports announcer for teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and radio. Ramsay was one of the most respected coaches in NBA history and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 for his long and successful career.
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Early Life and Education
Jack Ramsay grew up in Milford, Connecticut. His parents, Anne and John, encouraged him to play sports in elementary school. His family later moved near Philadelphia, and he graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1942. He played basketball, baseball, and soccer in high school. In 1979, he was honored by being added to the school's Wall of Fame.
Ramsay's mother strongly encouraged him to go to college. He enrolled at Saint Joseph's College. His college studies were paused for three years while he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. At St. Joseph's, Ramsay played both basketball and baseball. In his final year, a former teammate of baseball legend Ty Cobb coached him in baseball. In 1949, Ramsay was the first person in his family to earn a bachelor's degree from college. He continued his education, earning a master's degree in 1962 and a doctorate in education in 1963. Both of these advanced degrees were from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
After college, Ramsay played professional basketball for six seasons in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL). He was a guard for the Harrisburg Senators and the Sunbury professional team. He averaged 14 points per game during his career. He was chosen for the All-EPBL team four times. To earn more money while playing, he also coached basketball at St. James High School for Boys in Chester, Pennsylvania, and later at Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington, Delaware.
Coaching Career
College Coaching
After coaching high school and minor-league teams, Ramsay became the head coach at St. Joseph's College in 1955. He got the job after a chance meeting with the college's sports director at a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game. He was hired for the 1955-56 basketball season for $3,500.
In his first season at St. Joseph's, his team, the Hawks, won 23 games and lost only 6. They also won their first Big 5 championship. This season was also the first time the school made it to a postseason tournament. They finished third in the NIT. Ramsay stayed at St. Joseph's until 1966. During his time there, he led the Hawks to six more Big 5 titles. They also finished first in the Middle Atlantic Conference for five straight seasons and made ten postseason appearances. In 1961, his team even reached the Final Four.
When he was 41, Ramsay was advised by doctors to reduce stress due to an eye condition. He left his coaching job with the Hawks. He finished his 11 years at St. Joseph's with an impressive record of 234 wins and 72 losses. He remained the winningest coach in St. Joseph's history until 2005.
Professional Coaching
Philadelphia 76ers
After leaving St. Joseph's, Ramsay became the general manager for the Philadelphia 76ers. The team owner, Irv Kosloff, offered him a three-year contract for $25,000.
In 1968, Ramsay became the head coach of the 76ers. In his first game as an NBA coach, his team won 114–96 against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 76ers finished that season with 55 wins and 27 losses. Ramsay's aggressive defensive style helped the 76ers lead the NBA in scoring, averaging 119 points per game.
During his four seasons as the 76ers coach, Ramsay led the team to the playoffs three times. However, the team was not as strong as it had been in the late 1960s. In the 1971–72 season, the 76ers had a tough year with only 30 wins and 52 losses. They missed the playoffs for the first time in the team's history.
Buffalo Braves
On April 6, 1972, Ramsay signed a three-year contract to become the third head coach of the Buffalo Braves. He took over a team that had finished last in their division for the previous two years. In his first season in Buffalo, the team had a losing record of 21 wins and 61 losses. However, in his second season, Ramsay helped the team double their wins. They became the best offensive team in the league, scoring 111.6 points per game. That season, Ramsay led the Braves to the playoffs. They played against the Boston Celtics, who would go on to win the championship, and pushed them to six games in the conference semifinals.
Ramsay's time with the Braves was similar to his time with the 76ers, with four seasons and three playoff appearances. However, he left Buffalo on better terms. The team owner was selling the team, and Ramsay decided not to stay. His contract was not renewed on May 3, 1976. In his four seasons with the Braves, Ramsay had a record of 158 wins and 170 losses.
Portland Trail Blazers
In 1976, Ramsay became the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Before Ramsay arrived, the Blazers had never made the playoffs or had a winning season in their six-year history. However, the team had a talented young player named Bill Walton. Ramsay also got help from a special draft after the ABA league merged with the NBA. The Blazers gained a strong player named Maurice Lucas.
In his first season in Portland (1977), Ramsay led the Blazers to their first-ever NBA championship! In his second season, the Blazers were doing very well with 50 wins and 10 losses after 60 games. They were expected to win the championship again. But then, Walton broke his foot, which ended the Blazers' chances of winning. Ramsay continued to coach the Blazers until 1986, and they generally did well. However, they never reached the same level of success as his first two seasons. In his last nine seasons in Portland, the Blazers only won two playoff series. He also coached the Western Conference team in the 1978 NBA All-Star Game.
Indiana Pacers
Ramsay became the coach of the Indiana Pacers for the 1986–87 season. He led the Pacers to their second winning record as an NBA team. However, he could not repeat that success in later seasons. Ramsay resigned as the Pacers coach during the 1988–89 season after the team started with 0 wins and 7 losses.
When Ramsay left the Pacers, he had 864 wins, which was the second-highest number of wins for an NBA coach at that time, behind only Red Auerbach. When he retired, Ramsay had more combined college and professional wins than any other coach. In 1992, Ramsay was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Trail Blazers honored Ramsay by retiring the number 77 on January 14, 1993. This number symbolized their 1977 championship win. In 1996, he was voted one of the 10 greatest coaches in NBA history.
Broadcasting and Media Work
After his coaching career, Jack Ramsay spent nine years as a television commentator. He worked for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat. He often worked alongside announcer Eric Reid.
During his time as a Heat commentator, Ramsay created some fun nicknames and phrases for the players. When point guard Tim Hardaway made a three-point shot, Ramsay would shout, "this away, that away, Hardaway!" When Alonzo Mourning made a powerful dunk, Ramsay would exclaim "Zo with the stuffa!". Whenever a Heat player made a great shot, Ramsay would yell "bottom of the net!" On ESPN Radio, he also came up with phrases like "One hand slamma" for a one-handed dunk and "two hand slamma jamma" for a two-handed dunk.
From 1996 to 2012, Ramsay was the main analyst for ESPN Radio's coverage of 15 NBA Finals. He joined ESPN full-time in 2000.
Besides his TV and radio work, Ramsay also wrote several books. These include The Coach's Art and Dr. Jack's Leadership Lessons Learned From a Lifetime in Basketball.
Personal Life and Health
Jack Ramsay's son-in-law, Jim O'Brien, has also been a head coach for NBA teams like the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, and for The University of Dayton. His grandson, Jack O'Brien, was the editor-in-chief of a humor website. Another grandson, Geoff Dailey, played baseball in college. Ramsay's two oldest children, Susan and John, both earned doctoral degrees and taught at colleges. Another son, John, was an assistant dean at Carleton College. Ramsay was a devoted Roman Catholic. He loved playing tennis and often played doubles with his close friend, Van Miller.
Ramsay had a few health challenges. In 1999, doctors found prostate cancer early during a routine check-up. He received successful treatment and didn't miss any games as a commentator that season. In October 2004, Ramsay was diagnosed with melanoma, another type of cancer. He had another battle with the disease later in his life. On May 10, 2013, Ramsay announced that he was starting cancer treatment again, which meant he had to end his broadcasting career.
Death
Jack Ramsay passed away from cancer in his sleep on April 28, 2014. He was 89 years old. His longtime employer, ESPN, announced his death on Twitter.
See also
In Spanish: Jack Ramsay para niños
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
