Herb Magee

Back when Herb Magee was a five-foot something basketball player at Philadelphia’s famed West Catholic High School, he already had it figured out: “You can’t learn to be taller or faster, but you can learn how to put the ball through the hoop.” That philosophy shaped his entire career and served him well on the road to becoming the all-time winningest men’s coach in NCAA history. Magee’s stellar résumé was built over fifty years at Philadelphia University where he was first a two-time All-America and the school’s all-time leading scorer. The Boston Celtics drafted the sharpshooter in the seventh round of the 1963 NBA Draft, but Magee opted for a career in coaching. The decision suited him perfectly. Over the past six decades, Magee has built his reputation as one of the preeminent teachers in college basketball. In 1970 he led his Rams to the Division II national championship and forty years later he recorded win number 903 to surpass Bob Knight as the NCAA’s career leader in the wins department. Magee is a nationally renowned shooting instructor who has tutored professional players such as Charles Barkley, Malik Rose, and Jameer Nelson.