Bernard L. "Ben" Carnevale

When it came to taking teams with average ability and molding them into champions, Ben Carnevale was a master. Carnevale learned the ropes as a four-year player under Hall of Fame coach Howard Cann at New York University quickly moving on to coach at the University of North Carolina where he led the Tar Heels to the 1946 NCAA Finals. His 30 wins that season established a school record at that time. After only two seasons at North Carolina, Carnevale left to coach at the United States Naval Academy where he stayed for 20 seasons. Due to Naval Academy height restrictions, Carnevale’s teams never featured a single player over 6-foot-4. Still his teams competed diligently, were always well disciplined, and played aggressive defense. He stressed execution and got the most out of his young men. In 22 seasons, he experienced a losing record only twice. Five of his Navy teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament, and two others appeared in the NIT. He was named College Coach of the Year in 1947.