Bob Cousy

Bob Cousy (born August 9, 1928)

Teams: Boston College Eagles, Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City-Omaha Kings
Boston College record: 114-38 (.750)
Overall record^: 114-38 (.750)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  2  (1967, 1968)
• NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  1  (1968)
• NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
• NIT Championships:  0  (Runner-up in 1969)
• NIT Appearances:  0  (1965, 1966, 1969)

Awards:

• AP All-American:  3  (1948, 1949, 1950)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 1971 as a player)
• National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2006 as a player)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1972-1974	Kansas City-Omaha Kings
1969-1972	Cincinnati Royals
1963-1969	Boston College

Bob Cousy Facts

• Robert Joseph Cousy
• Born August 9, 1928
• Hometown: New York City, New York
• Alma Mater: College of the Holy Cross (BA, 1950)
• Grew up in Queens, developing into a star basketball player at Andrew Jackson HS in St. Albans
• Went on to Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where he played for head coaches Doggie Julian and Buster Sheary
  • Was teammates with Joe Mullaney and George Kaftan on the Crusaders’ 1947 NCAA Championship team
  • Earned AP All-American honors three times (third-team in 1948, second-team in 1949 and first-team in 1950)
  • In 2008, his jersey number #17 was retired by Holy Cross
• Drafted 3rd overall in the 1950 NBA Draft by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, but instead signed with the Boston Celtics
  • Won 6x NBA titles, was a 13x All-Star and 12x All-NBA in 13 seasons with the Celtics, all coached by Red Auerbach
  • In 1954, Cousy created the first players’ association in major North American sports and served as the NBPA’s first president from 1954-58
  • Considered one of the best players of his era, Cousy was honored on the NBA’s 25th, 35th and 50th Anniversary teams
  • His jersey number #14 was retired by the Celtics in 1971 upon his induction to the Naismith Hall of Fame
• Went from the Celtics to Boston College in 1963, taking over as the head basketball coach
  • Led the Eagles for six seasons, finishing above .500 and reaching the postseason in all but the first year
  • After two-straight NCAA Tournament bids, his 1968-69 team won 24 games and finished a NIT Runner-up
• Headed back to the NBA in 1969, becoming the head coach of the Cincinnati Royals (led by Oscar Robertson)
  • Coached the Royals – and later the Kansas City/Omaha Kings – for five years with little success
  • Briefly came out of retirement during the 1969-70 season to boost ticket sales; the stunt worked despite Cousy contributing very little in the 7 games in which he played
  • The team never reached the Playoffs under Cousy and he resigned 20 games into the 1973-74 season
• Was the Commissioner of the American Soccer League from 1974-79 despite having little familiarity with the sport
• Worked as a color analyst for the Celtics in the 1980s and later in a marketing position with the franchise
• Since 2004, Holy Cross and the Naismith Hall of Fame have given the Bob Cousy Award to the nation’s best point guard
• Along with his late wife, Missie, has two daughters

Bob Cousy Coaching Tree

• John Block (Point Loma Nazarene, Gordon College, UC San Diego)
• Bob Dukiet (Gannon, Marquette, Saint Peter’s)
• Gerry Friel (New Hampshire)
• Jim King (Tulsa)
• Jim O’Brien (Emerson, Ohio State, Boston College, St. Bonaventure)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only