Frank Morgenweck

An astute business leader and visionary, Frank “Pop” Morgenweck was the paramount promoter of professional basketball on the East Coast during the game’s first four decades. Throughout his 37-year involvement with professional basketball, Morgenweck was an influential personality among players, coaches, and owners. Pop helped promote professional basketball during its infancy, operating teams in 10 different leagues and in more than 18 Eastern and Western cities. Morganweck began as a player-coach in the National League in 1901, and won that league’s championship in 1904 with the Camden Electrics. After the 1915-16 season, Morganweck retired from playing to concentrate on coaching and promoting his teams. He guided the Patterson Legionnaires to the Metropolitan League championship and the Kingston Colonials to the New York State title, both in 1923. His Kingston team won the Metropolitan League title in 1928.Operated and coached professional teams in 14 cities from 1901 to 1932 in the National, New England, Western Massachusetts, Hudson River, Central, New York State, Inter-State, Metropolitan, Eastern States, and American leagues. Morganweck retired as a coach in 1938 with over 500 career victories.