John Castellani
John Castellani (1926-2021)
Teams coached: Seattle Redhawks, Minneapolis Lakers
Seattle record: 45-9 (.833)
Overall record^: 45-9 (.833)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1958)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1958)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1 (1958)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (1958)
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1957)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1959-1960 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1956-1958 | Seattle |
| 1951-1956 | Notre Dame (asst) |
John Castellani Facts
- John Louis Castellani
- Born August 23, 1926
- Died May 11, 2021
- Hometown: New Britain, Connecticut
- Alma Mater: University of Notre Dame (BA, 1951) / Marquette University (JD, 1963)
- Started his career at alma mater Notre Dame, coaching the freshman for two years and then serving as an assistant for three under John Jordan
- Hired in 1956 at just 30 years old to be the head coach at Seattle, never having visited the campus before taking the job
- Led the (then-Chieftans) program for just two seasons, but had incredible success coaching future HOFer Elgin Baylor
- His team reached the NIT in 1957 and then finished as NCAA Tournament Runner-up in 1958 (lost to Kentucky)
- NCAA violations came to light after the 1958 NCAAT, ultimately leading to Castellani’s resignation in April of that year
- Had one more coaching job, leading the Minneapolis Lakers for half of the 1959-60 season; had the chance to coach Baylor once again
- Went 11-25 during his time at the helm; did not coach again after this experience
- Obtained his law degree from Marquette in 1963 and spent the next 55 years as a practicing attorney in Milwaukee
- Retired in 2018 and moved back to New Britain, CT; passed away in May 2021 at the age of 94
John Castellani Coaching Tree
- Elgin Baylor (New Orleans Jazz)
- Vince Cazzetta (Pittsburgh Pipers, Seattle)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only