Frank J. McGuire

Enshrined 1977
Born: November 8, 1916
New York, NY
Died: November 11, 1994

While Frank McGuire's Irish good looks and pleasing disposition made him a popular and well-liked coach, it was his game strategy, zealous pursuit of defensive basketball, and ability to mold championship teams that set him apart from his contemporaries. McGuire's coaching philosophy was built around defense and offensive execution. He was the first coach in history to win 100 games at three different colleges, and in 31 years of coaching at St. John's, North Carolina, and South Carolina, he had only three losing seasons. He guided his teams to fifteen post-season appearances (8 NCAA, 7 NIT). A favored clinician and lecturer, McGuire wrote two successful books, Offensive Basketball (1958) and Defensive Basketball (1959).