Frank J. McGuire

While Frank McGuire’s Irish good looks and pleasing disposition made him a popular and well-liked coach, it was his game strategy, zealous pursuit of defensive basketball, and ability to mold championship teams that set him apart from his contemporaries. McGuire’s coaching philosophy was built around defense and offensive execution. He was the first coach in history to win 100 games at three different colleges. In 31 years of coaching at St. John’s, North Carolina, and South Carolina, he had only three losing seasons. He guided his teams to 15 postseason appearances including eight NCAA Tournaments. The 1957 NCAA Tournament saw McGuire’s Tar Heels outlast Kansas University and Wilt Chamberlain in a thrilling triple-overtime victory. A favored clinician and lecturer, McGuire wrote two successful books, Offensive Basketball (1958) and Defensive Basketball (1959).