Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on February 21st, 1925 and is the Basketball Coach. At the age of 89, Jack Ramsay biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 89 years old, Jack Ramsay has this physical status:
John Travilla Ramsay (February 21, 1925 – April 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach, also known as "Dr. Sullivan."
(as he held an accredited doctorate) Jack (as he held an honorary doctorate.
He was best known for leading the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Championship, as well as his television appearances with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heaters, and ESPN TV and ESPN Radio.
Ramsay was one of the most respected coaches in NBA history and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was the recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2009–2010 NBA season.
Early life
By his parents, Anne and John, growing up in Milford, Connecticut, Ramsay was encouraged to partake in sports in grade school. The family migrated from Upper Darby High School in 1942, and Ramsay graduated from Upper Darby High School. He was inducted into the school's Wall of Fame in 1979, years after playing basketball, baseball, and soccer in high school. Ramsay's College was strongly encouraged by his mother to enroll in college. Ramsay's academic career was interrupted by three years of military service in the United States Navy during World War II. At St. Joseph's, Ramsay played both basketball and baseball. Ramsay was coached in baseball by Pep Young, a former teammate of professional baseball star Ty Cobb in his senior year. Ramsay was the first member of his family to receive a bachelor's degree in 1949. Ramsay earned his master's degree in 1962 and then a doctorate degree in education in 1963, both from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Ramsay played six seasons of basketball in the Eastern Professional Basketball League after graduation (EPBL). He was the second-leading scorer for the Harrisburg Senators in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as a sophomore playing guard. Ramsay averaged 14 points in his 14 appearances with the Senators and the Sunbury, Pennsylvania professional team. He was first chosen four times to the All-EPBL team. He coached basketball at St. James High School for Boys in Chester, Pennsylvania, and later at Mount Pleasant High School, Delaware, 1953-2004.
Personal life
Jim O'Brien, Ramsay's son-in-law, has been the head coach of the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, and The University of Dayton, and grandson Jack O'Brien was the editor-in-chief of humor website Cracked.com. Geoff Dailey, a student at Wesleyan University, played baseball. Susan and John, his two eldest children, have doctoral degrees and taught at the college level. John, John, the other son of Carleton College, was an assistant dean. Ramsay and his friends rely on the late David Halberstam and Gay Talese. Ramsay was a devout Roman Catholic. Ramsay and Van Miller (the Braves' radio announcer and a close friend of Ramsay's) played as a doubles team.
Ramsay had two concussions in his playing career, one occurred while attending a college game in 1948, the second in 1954 during an Eastern League match. A common medical exam in 1999 revealed an early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Ramsay didn't miss a single game as commentator after a successful program. Ramsay was diagnosed with melanoma in October 2004. In his later years, he had another bout of the disease. Ramsay revealed on May 10, 2013 that he was back in pain, and he was even better off battling cancer. He was also donating his time as a broadcaster.
Coaching career
Ramsay became the head coach at St Joseph's in 1955 after working in the high school and minor-league ranks during the early postwar years. Ramsay left the job after mistakenly meeting the college's moderator of athletics at a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game. Ramsay was hired as a mentor for the 1955-56 basketball season, costing the former basketball player $3,500.
The Hawks won their first Big 5 crown in Ramsay's first season at St Joseph. This was also the school's first-ever postseason playoff appearance in which St Joseph finished third in the NIT after losing to University of Dayton. Ramsay would remain a student at St. Joseph's until 1966, leading the Hawks to six more Big 5 crowns, five consecutive seasons of first-place finishes in the Middle Atlantic Conference, ten postseason appearances, and a Final Four appearance in 1961.
Ramsay was diagnosed with edema in his right eye at age 41, having fought his team to a 24-5-2 record in 1965–66. Ramsay resigned from his teaching position with the Hawks on the doctors' suggestion that he reduce tensions. Ramsay set a record of 234–72 in 11 years, a new high for the Ramsays. He will remain the top coach in St. Joseph's history until Phil Martelli passed him in 2005.
Ramsay was hired as general manager by the Philadelphia 76ers after leaving St Joseph's. Ramsay was granted a three-year $25,000 contract by team owner Irv Kosloff.
Ramsay became the head coach of the 76ers in 1968. Despite Lakers players Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Chamberlain's combined for 71 points in Ramsay's first game as head coach of an NBA team, the 76ers zone press beat the Los Angeles Lakers 114–96 at the Spectrum. Coach Ramsay's first season with the 76ers was 55-27. As a result of Ramsay's style of aggressive pressing defense, the 76ers led the NBA in scoring (119 points per game).
Ramsay led the team to three playoff appearances during his four seasons as head coach. Although the 76ers remained to be candidates, it was clear that they were not the powerhouse that had existed in the late 1960s. The team was cut in 1971–72, when the 76ers set a 30-52 record and missed the playoffs for the first time in team history. The Sixers had fielded the best record in league history just five years ago.
On April 6, 1972, Ramsay agreed to replace John McCarthy as the third-ever head coach of the Buffalo Braves. He inherited a team that failed in both of the first two years of its existence in last place in the Atlantic Division. Despite having compiled a losing 21-61 record in the first season in Buffalo, the Ramsays saw their win total double the next season (111.6), even though they were last in defense (111.8). Ramsay led the Braves to the playoffs in Buffalo for the second season, where they shocked the eventual champion Celtics to six games in the conference semifinals. His Buffalo stint was almost a mirror image of his time with the Sixers — four seasons, three playoff appearances; however, he did not leave Buffalo in the kind of wreckage that had erupted in Philadelphia. Instead, owner Paul Snyder was in the process of selling the team to out-of-town buyers (the Braves' attendance records at the time indicated that the team was unable to benefit both the Braves and hockey's Sabres, but Snyder failed to participate in the upheaval). On May 3, 1976, the Braves were fired by the Celtics from the playoffs, but his deal was not renewed. Ramsay set a record of 158–170 in his four seasons with the Braves.
Ramsay became the Portland Trail Blazers' head coach in 1976. The Blazers hadn't made the playoffs or set a winning season record in their six-year history when Ramsay arrived. However, Bill Walton's youth Blazers crew was starting to wear, but a young Blazers team was starting to fail. Ramsay also benefited from the 1976 ABA dispersal draft, in which the Blazers acquired power forward Maurice Lucas.
Ramsay led the Blazers to their first NBA championship in his first season (1977). The Blazers were 50-10 after 60 games and was favored to repeat as NBA champions in their second season. However, Walton broke his foot, ending the Blazers' winning chances. Ramsay continued to coach the Blazers until 1986 with general success. However, he never matched the success of his first seasons. The Blazers only won two playoff series in Portland during Ramsay's nine seasons as mayor. In the 1978 All-Star Game, he also coached the Western Conference team.
For the 1986–87 season, Ramsay took over as head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Ramsay led the Pacers to their second straight appearance as an NBA team. Ramsay, on the other hand, was unable to repeat that success in subsequent seasons. After a 0–7 start, Ramsay resigned as the Pacers coach during the 1988-89 season.
Ramsay finished second on the all-time victories list for NBA coaches, with 864 victories, trailing only Red Auerbach. Ramsay had the most combined college and professional victories of any coach when he retired. Ramsay was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. On Jan. 14, 1993, the Trail Blazers retired Number 77 in Ramsay's honor, symbolically recognizing the 1977 Championship. He was named one of the top ten greatest coaches in NBA history in 1996.