Bill Raftery

Bill Raftery (born April 19, 1943)

Teams coached: Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison Devils, Seton Hall Pirates
FDU-Madison record^: 63-47 (.573)
Seton Hall record: 154-141 (.522)
Overall record^: 217-188 (.536)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  0
• NIT Championships:  0
• NIT Appearances:  2  (1974, 1977)
• New Jersey-New York 7 Regular Season Champion:  1  (1977)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

Bill Raftery Facts

• William Joseph Raftery
• Born April 19, 1943
• Hometown: Kearny, New Jersey
• Alma Mater: La Salle University (BA, 1963) / Seton Hall University (M.Ed, 1966)
• Was First-Team Parade All-American as a senior at Saint Cecilia HS (NJ); left as the state’s all-time leading scorer
• Went on to play at La Salle for Donald “Dudey” Moore; was team captain in 1963 when the Explorers reached the NIT
• Started his coaching career at Division II FDU-Madison (now Florham) in New Jersey
  • Went 63-47 in five seasons as head coach; also coached golf and was associate AD at the school
• Spent eleven seasons as the head coach at Seton Hall, going 154-141 overall during that tenure
  • Reached the NIT twice, including in 1977 when the Pirates were NJNY7 champions
• After his coaching career, Raftery has embarked on a decades-long broadcasting career and is one of the nation’s most recognizable voices during college basketball season
  • Has worked for CBS Sports, ESPN, and Fox Sports and has been a staple of March Madness broadcasts for years
  • In addition to college basketball, Raftery has also done PGA Tour broadcasts and worked for the New Jersey Nets
  • Inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame (class of 2015)
• Along with his wife, Joan, has four children

Bill Raftery Coaching Tree

• Tom Brennan (Vermont, Yale, FDU-Florham)
• Hoddy Mahon (Seton Hall)

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels