Jack Ramsay
John T. Ramsay ( born February 21, 1925 in Philadelphia ) is a former American professional basketball coach and ESPN sports commentator. Since 1992, " Dr. Jack ", as he is usually just called a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ramsay began his coaching career in 1955 at Saint Joseph's College of his hometown, where he had made his bachelor's degree. He could make his college basketball program into one of the leading universities within the city. In 1963 he earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania in the area of pedagogy.
In 1966 he left the university area and moved within the city as general manager in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers professional club. Already in his first year in the club succeeded the 76ers finally the years dominating Boston Celtics detach as master. When the club in the next season the title was unable to repeat, Ramsay moved back to the sidelines as a coach. He wanted to rebuild the team following and was trading star players such as Wilt Chamberlain and Chet Walker against supposedly promising talents of other clubs. During his coaching time this conversion failed and the club disappeared first of all in the sporting oblivion. As Ramsay in 1972 left the 76ers in the direction of Buffalo, they brought in the following season with nine wins in 82 games almost record-breaking few successes.
At his next stop in 1972 in Buffalo he came to a existing only since 1970 Club, which had to have any success and playoff appearances. In the first year it changed little, but in the NBA Draft had success and could Bob McAdoo commit that was already in the third year MVP of the league. With McAdoo as a player Ramsay was able to reach the play-offs in the remaining years of his coaching time in Buffalo. The Braves had a whole but in her environment with little success and so the club owner tried to sell the club in 1976.
Ramsay moved therefore again the club and went to Portland to the West Coast, with whom he celebrated his greatest successes in the following years. In his first season he achieved his first championship as a coach, which is the only of the club to this day. On the way to a second Championship the following season the team was stopped by several violations, including Bill Walton. After Ramsay had piecewise also convert this championship team, but what he did better managed than in Philadelphia. Up to 1982 always the play-offs were achieved. With the obligations of Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and Sam Bowie, the association appeared to be again able to play along the championship. But the leap to the final series for the championship succeeded Ramsay with the club no longer, so he was dismissed in 1986.
He then took over as coach of the Indiana Pacers in the ABA since its inclusion in the NBA in 1976 were not very successful after three championships so far and had once reached the play-offs. Ramsay was also relatively successful in the first year, so he success with balanced account of 41 wins in 82 games could bring the same into the play- offs the club. However, he could not repeat this with the club in the following seasons and resigned after a disastrous start to the season in 1988.
Then Ramsay worked at ESPN on TV, radio and the Internet as a sports commentator. He also published two books on the subject of basketball. To this day, are still to read comments from him about current events in the U.S. basketball on the internet.