| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-01-19)January 19, 1940 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | September 12, 2022(2022-09-12) (aged 82) |
| Playing career | |
| Baseball | |
| 1959–1962 | Saint Joseph's |
| Basketball | |
| 1959–1962 | Saint Joseph's |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Baseball | |
| 1965–1974 | Saint Joseph's |
| Basketball | |
| 1974–1978 | Saint Joseph's |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall |
|
Harry Booth (January 19, 1940 – September 12, 2022) was an Americancollege baseball andcollege basketballhead coach for theSaint Joseph's Hawks, representingSaint Joseph's University. He also attended Saint Joseph's and played for their baseball and basketball teams.
Booth was born on January 19, 1940,[1] inSouth Philadelphia. He graduated fromBishop Neumann High School and then attendedSaint Joseph's University. At Saint Joseph's, Booth played for theSaint Joseph's Hawks baseball as acenter fielder, twice being named to the All-Middle Atlantic Conference team. In his junior and senior years, Booth led his team inruns scored,stolen bases, andextra-base hits. Hewalked-on to theSaint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team, playing in three consecutiveNCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments as a reserve.[2] Saint Joseph made it to theFinal Four in the1961 basketball tournament.[3] Booth was acaptain for both the baseball and basketball teams.[2] He graduated from Saint Joseph's in 1962.[2]
After he graduated, Booth was hired as thevarsity men's basketball coach atBishop McDevitt High School inWyncote, Pennsylvania, in July 1962.[4] He also became an assistant coach for Saint Joseph's baseball team. Saint Joseph's named Booth the head coach of their freshman baseball team in March 1964,[5] and then as the head coach of the varsity baseball team in August 1964.[6] Booth coached the baseball team from 1965 to 1974 and had a 140–80–5 record.[7] His .633winning percentage is the highest for all St. Joseph's baseball coaches.[2]
In 1966, Booth became an assistant coach for the varsity men's basketball team. In 1970, he was named the head coach of Saint Joseph's freshmen men's basketball team.[8] After the firing ofJack McKinney, the head coach of Saint Joseph's varsity basketball team, Booth succeeded him, while stepping down as head coach of the baseball team.[9][10] Booth coached the men's basketball team through the 1978 season, after which he was fired. He coached the Hawks' men's basketball team to a 44–61 (.419) record.[11][12] Booth joined theVillanova Wildcats men's basketball team as a volunteer assistant coach in 1981.[13] He coached for Villanova when they won the1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[2] He also worked in sales.[14] Booth left Villanova in 1986 to focus on his business career.[15]
Saint Joseph's inducted Booth into their Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. The Harry Booth Award, given to a member of the baseball team for outstanding contributions, was inaugurated in 2010.[7]
Booth and his wife, Toni, had four children.[8] His son, Kevin, played college basketball atMount Saint Mary's College,[16] and his grandson, Michael, played college basketball for Saint Joseph's.[7] Booth died on September 12, 2022, following a short illness. He was 82.[2][7]