Joe Vancisin, the former head coach at Yale and longtime executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), passed away on Tuesday. Vancisin was 98 years old.
“Joe was a wonderful friend and a passionate basketball coach who cared dearly about Yale and all the young men that he mentored,” current Yale head coach James Jones said in a statement. “I feel blessed to have known him and will miss my friend.”
Vancisin led the Bulldogs from 1956-75, going 206-242 overall, reached the NCAA Tournament in both 1957 and 1962 and won Ivy League titles in those same two seasons. He left the school in 1975 and spent the next 17 years working as the executive director of the NABC.
“I was saddened to learn of Joe’s passing and speak on behalf of all NABC members in offering my condolences to his loved ones. Joe’s 17 years of stewarding the NABC and serving coaches helped our association become what it is today,” said Craig Robinson, the current NABC Executive Director. “I’m extremely grateful for his impact on the coaching profession and the game of basketball. He will be missed.”
For his contributions to the game, Vancisin was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
credit to the NABC for the photo
