Fred Shabel

Fred Shabel (born c. 1933)

Teams coached: Connecticut Huskies
Connecticut record: 72-29 (.713)
Overall record: 72-29 (.713)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  3  (1964, 1965, 1967)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  1  (1964)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  0
  • Yankee Regular Season Champion:  4  (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1963-1967 Connecticut
1957-1963 Duke (asst)

Fred Shabel Facts

  • Fred Shabel
  • Born c. 1933
  • Hometown: Union City, New Jersey
  • Alma Mater: Duke University (BA, 1954)
  • The NJ-native played at Duke from 1952-54 for head coach Harold Bradley; one of his teammates was future coach Lefty Driesell
    • After college, Shabel served in the US Air Force (1954-56) and departed as a First Lieutenant
  • Joined the staff at Duke in 1957, spending two seasons assisting Bradley and four more assisting Vic Bubas
  • At just 30 years old in 1963, Shabel was hired to be the head coach of the Connecticut Huskies
    • Went 72-29 in four seasons at the helm, winning the Yankee title each year and going to three NCAA Tournaments
  • Stepped away from coaching to be the AD (1967-75) and later VP of Operations (1975-80) at the University of Pennsylvania
    • As AD, Shabel hired future Hall of Fame basketball coach Chuck Daly to lead the Quakers in 1971
    • Presided over a very successful period of Quaker athletics, winning 28 Ivy League titles under his tenure
  • Left Penn in 1980 to become an executive Comcast-Spectator in Philadelphia, staying there for many years
  • Shabel is a member of the New England D-I Basketball HOF and the Philadelphia Jewish Sports HOF
    • Also received the Duke Alumni Award and both the Varsity Club Award and Hunter Lott Award from Penn

Fred Shabel Coaching Tree

  • Burr Carlson (Connecticut)
  • Dom Perno (Connecticut)