 McGuire circa 1986 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1928-09-07)September 7, 1928 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 2001(2001-01-26) (aged 72) Brookfield, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. John's Prep (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College | St. John's (1947–1951) |
| NBA draft | 1951: 6th round, 55th overall pick |
| Drafted by | New York Knicks |
| Playing career | 1951–1955 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 3, 16, 7 |
| Coaching career | 1955–1977 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1951–1954 | New York Knicks |
| 1954–1955 | Baltimore Bullets |
Coaching | |
| 1955–1957 | Dartmouth (assistant) |
| 1957–1964 | Belmont Abbey |
| 1964–1977 | Marquette |
| Career highlights | |
As coach:
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Alfred James McGuire (September 7, 1928 – January 26, 2001) was an Americancollege basketball coach and broadcaster, the head coach atMarquette University from1964 to1977. He won a national championship in his final season at Marquette,[1] and was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. He was also well known as a longtime national television basketball broadcaster and for his colorful personality.[2][3]
McGuire grew up inRockaway Beach, Queens,New York.[4] He played three years of basketball atSt. John's Prep, then located inBrooklyn (graduated 1947),[5] and went on to star atSt. John's University (1947–1951), where he played for four years and captained the 1951 team that posted a26–5 mark and finished third in theNIT.
After college, McGuire played in theNBA, with his hometownNew York Knicks for three seasons, 1951–54. While with the Knicks, he once famously pleaded with his coach for playing time, with this guarantee: "I can stopCousy." Inserted into the lineup, McGuire then proceeded to foul the Celtics star on his next six trips down the court.
On September 17, 1954, the Knicks traded McGuire andConnie Simmons to theBaltimore Bullets forRay Felix andChuck Grigsby. McGuire rode the bench for the Bullets, playing just 98 minutes in ten games and scoring 23 points; actually, the record books don't even credit McGuire forthose numbers. In late November, the NBA revoked the franchise of the 3–11 (and bankrupt) Bullets, and decided to wipe Baltimore's games away as if they had never been played, along with all individual statistics. Several ex-Bullets (including All-StarFrank Selvy) hooked on with other NBA teams, but McGuire (who had been sidelined by a leg injury) did not, ending his playing career.
McGuire began his coaching career as an assistant atDartmouth College (1955–1957) for head coachDoggie Julian. McGuire coached the freshman team at Dartmouth. One of his players wasDave Gavitt. McGuire then took his first head coaching job atBelmont Abbey College (1957–1964), in Belmont, North Carolina, where he recruited many high school players off the streets of New York. McGuire became head coach atMarquette University inMilwaukee in 1964 where he enjoyed success, including theNIT Championship in1970 and aFinal Four appearance in1974 against the eventual championNC State Wolfpack. He also served as athletic director for the program starting in 1973.
His final assistant coaches wereHank Raymonds (hired in 1961) andRick Majerus (hired in 1971), who became a successful college head coach. He cited them as the final key to the team's success in 1977, stating, "We worked because we didn't associate socially and our rhythms were different. Hank was the encyclopedia, the administrator, the rule book with solid basketball knowledge. Rick was the cousins sandwich, the guy to bridge the age gap with the players, the recruiter with a flair for modern-day basketball. I was the Houdini, who did his disappearing act. I know that 85 percent of me is buffalo chips, and the other 15 percent is rare talent. I'd say in that 15 percent, in the mental toughness, the media, keeping an eye on the elephant, not the mice, and extending the life of the extinct kiwi bird, which is nocturnal."
McGuire led Marquette to its only NCAA basketball championship in1977, his final season as a head coach.[6] On December 17, 1976, McGuire stunned fans by announcing that he would retire as coach after the end of thecurrent season,[7] to become vice chairman of Medalist Industries, effective May 1, 1977; he had served on the board of directors of the sporting goods firm for six years. North Carolina coach and friendDean Smith had stated that McGuire never intended to be a "lifer" as a coach.[8][9] McGuire was an executive with the company for less than a year, resigning on March 20, 1978.[10][11] For the entire tournament, Maguire would wear a black sport coat and gray pants that he believed was lucky. Marquette's team, led byAlfred "Butch" Lee,Maurice "Bo" Ellis andJerome Whitehead would have a run that Maguire later referred to as "the magical weekend", which saw Whitehead receive a full-court pass and subsequently made a last-second shot to propel Marquette pastUNC Charlotte in the national semifinals. Two days later, they defeatedDean Smith'sNorth Carolina Tar Heels for the title. Ranked sixteenth, Marquette had seven losses going into the NCAA tournament, the most losses up to that time for a team that would win the NCAA Championship.[6][12] The thrilling weekend in Atlanta'sOmni Coliseum provided a happy sendoff.[13] Maguire was succeeded by his assistantHank Raymonds, who in turn was succeeded by Majerus in 1983; Marquette would not reach another Final Four until 2003.
While at Marquette, McGuire founded "Al's Run," a charity event for theChildren's Hospital of Wisconsin. The race celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2017.[14]
After coaching and a brief stint in business, McGuire became a popular commentator forNBC Sports[15] andCBS Sports. McGuire's on-air banter with colleagueBilly Packer helped increase the popularity of college basketball across the United States. McGuire was courtside for the landmark1979 championship game betweenIndiana State andMichigan State that pittedLarry Bird againstMagic Johnson, which is remembered as a game that vastly enhanced the appeal of college basketball. Reflecting on the event ten years later, McGuire said that the 1979 title game inSalt Lake City "put college basketball on itsafterburner." That national championship game remains the highest-rated NCAA Final broadcast. He announced his retirement from broadcasting after calling a matchup between Wisconsin and Indiana on March 5, 2000.[16]
After a long bout withleukemia, McGuire died at age 72 in 2001 inBrookfield, Wisconsin.[2][3]
TheAl McGuire Center, which includes a statue in his honor, opened on the Marquette campus in 2004.
He was elected to theWisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.
McGuire's brotherDick (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee 1993) was also a prominent figure in basketball, having starred at St. John's and then with the New York Knicks of the NBA. Dickand Al both played for the Knicks. They are the only pair of brothers, and one of only two sibling pairs (the other beingCheryl andReggie Miller), inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[17] Others in the Hall of Fame Class of '92 includedLou Carnesecca,Phil Woolpert,Jack Ramsay,Connie Hawkins,Bob Lanier,Sergei Belov,Nera D. White andLusia Harris Steward. McGuire is not related to the lateNorth Carolina andSouth Carolina coachFrank McGuire. Al and Frank coached against each other when Frank was head man at South Carolina. Al played for Frank at St. John's. Frank McGuire has been considered Al's coaching mentor.
McGuire was survived by his wife, Patricia, three children, sonsAllie (who played for his father at Marquette) and Rob and daughter Noreen, and six grandchildren.
Al McGuire's former television broadcast partner and friend,Dick Enberg, penned a one-man theatrical play entitledCoach portrayed by actorCotter Smith.
It debuted at Marquette University's Helfaer Theater in 2005, and returned there by popular demand in 2006. The play was then presented at the Alliance Theatre inAtlanta during the 2007 Final Four Championship, atHofstra University in February 2008, and at the North Coast Repertory in San Diego County in April 2008. It returned to North Coast Rep by popular demand in August 2008, and subsequently was seen atCentral Michigan University, Dick Enberg's alma mater on October 10, 2008. A benefit performance for theSan Diego Chargers was presented on November 12, 2008.
From January to June 2017, the play entitled "McGuire" was presented by theMilwaukee Repertory Theater, starringTony Award winnerAnthony Crivello. That run broke all box office records for the space, playing to 'sold-out' houses in the 150 seat Stackner Cabaret. Crivello received critical praise for his work in the show, and won 2017Wisconsin Footlights Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play."[18][19][20][21][22][23]
A five-minute presentation of the show was presented at the 2017Wisconsin Sports Award on May 20, 2017, at theWisconsin Field House.[24]
Four books have been written about McGuire's life. McGuire's biography "You Can Call Me Al: The Colorful Journey of College Basketball's Original Flower Child, Al McGuire," written by Chicago area author and journalist Joseph Declan Moran with McGuire's cooperation, was first published in March 1999 by Prairie Oak Press (Madison, WI); "I Remember Al McGuire: Personal Memories and Testimonials to College Basketball's Wittiest Coach and Commentator (as told by the people who knew him)," written by Mike Towle, was published in December 2001 by Cumberland House Publishing; "Cracked Sidewalks and French Pastry: The Wit and Wisdom of Al McGuire," written by Tom Kertscher, was published by University of Wisconsin Press in November 2002; "Al McGuire: The Colorful Warrior," written by Roger Jaynes, was published by Sports Publishing LLC in July 2004.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Source[25]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–52 | New York | 59 | 13.4 | .431 | .525 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 3.5 |
| 1952–53 | New York | 58 | 21.2 | .390 | .637 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 6.1 |
| 1953–54 | New York | 64 | 13.3 | .328 | .436 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.7 |
| 1954–55 | Baltimore | 10 | 9.8 | .281 | .714 | .9 | .8 | 2.3 |
| Career | 191 | 15.5 | .379 | .551 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 4.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | New York | 13 | 16.0 | .392 | .741 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 4.6 |
| 1953 | New York | 7 | 8.9 | .214 | .000 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .9 |
| 1954 | New York | 4 | 17.3 | .444 | .222 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 4.5 |
| Career | 24 | 14.1 | .373 | .512 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 3.5 | |
| Season | Team | Overall | Postseason | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont Abbey Crusaders(Independent)(1957–1964) | |||||||||
| 1957–58 | Belmont Abbey | 24–3 | |||||||
| 1958–59 | Belmont Abbey | 21–2 | |||||||
| 1959–60 | Belmont Abbey | 19–5 | |||||||
| 1960–61 | Belmont Abbey | 17–6 | |||||||
| 1961–62 | Belmont Abbey | 15–8 | |||||||
| 1962–63 | Belmont Abbey | 7–21 | |||||||
| 1963–64 | Belmont Abbey | 6–18 | |||||||
| Belmont Abbey: | 109–63 | ||||||||
| Marquette Warriors(Independent)(1964–1977) | |||||||||
| 1964–65 | Marquette | 8–18 | |||||||
| 1965–66 | Marquette | 14–12 | |||||||
| 1966–67 | Marquette | 21–9 | NIT Runner-up | ||||||
| 1967–68 | Marquette | 23–6 | NCAA University Division Regional Third Place | ||||||
| 1968–69 | Marquette | 24–5 | NCAA University Division Regional Runner-up | ||||||
| 1969–70 | Marquette | 26–3 | NIT Champion | ||||||
| 1970–71 | Marquette | 28–1 | NCAA University Division Regional Third Place | ||||||
| 1971–72 | Marquette | 25–4 | NCAA University Division Regional Fourth Place | ||||||
| 1972–73 | Marquette | 25–4 | NCAA University Division Regional Third Place | ||||||
| 1973–74 | Marquette | 26–5 | NCAA Division I Runner-up | ||||||
| 1974–75 | Marquette | 23–4 | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||||
| 1975–76 | Marquette | 27–2 | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||||
| 1976–77 | Marquette | 25–7 | NCAA Division I Champion | ||||||
| Marquette: | 295–80 (.787) | ||||||||
| Total: | 404–143 (.739) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |