Jack Leaman
Jack Leaman (1932-2004)
Teams coached: UMass Minutemen
UMass record: 217-126 (.633)
Overall record^: 217-126 (.633)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 6 (1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977)
- Yankee Regular Season Champion: 8 (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1991-1994 | UMass (women’s asst) |
| 1986-1987 | UMass (women’s HC) |
| 1966-1979 | UMass |
| 1961-1966 | UMass (asst) |
Jack Leaman Facts
- Jack Leaman
- Born December 22, 1932
- Died March 6, 2004
- Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
- Alma Mater: Boston University (BA, 1959 & MA, 1961)
- The Boston-native graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, then served for two years in the US Army
- After receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Boston and played at BU for coach Matt Zunic
- Was team captain in 1959 and led the Terriers in scoring and assists each year he was on the team
- Inducted into the BU Athletic HOF in 1977 and had his jersey #10 retired by the program in 2008
- Worked on Zunic‘s staff at UMass from 1961-63 and stayed on under new head coach Johnny Orr for three more years
- Elevated to head coach in 1966 and led the program for the next 13 seasons, going 217-126 overall
- Reached the NIT six times and won eight Yankee Conference titles, the third-most for any head coach
- Among his players were future Hall of Famer Julius Erving and future coaches Rick Pitino and Al Skinner
- Inducted into the UMass Athletic HOF in 1988 and had the floor at Mullins Center named in his honor in 2012
- Spent one season (1986-87) as interim head coach of the UMass women’s team, going 14-12 (9-9 A-10)
- Later re-joined the program as an assistant coach for three years under Joanie O’Brien
- Began working as a UMass radio broadcast commentator in 1994 and continued in that role until his death in 2004
- Inducted into the New England Basketball Coaches HOF in 2003
- Passed away in March 2004 at the age of 71 after suffering a heart attack on his way back from a UMass away game
- Survived by his wife, Rita, and his daughter, Laura
Jack Leaman Coaching Tree
- Tom McLaughlin (UMass)
- Rick Pitino (St, John’s, Iona, Louisville, Boston Celtics, Kentucky, New York Knicks, Providence, Boston University, Hawaii)
- Al Skinner (Kennesaw State, Boston College, Rhode Island)
- Ray Wilson (UMass)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the men’s NCAA Division I level only
