John Powers (Jack) is an American Hall of Fame basketball player, coach and executive who played for, coached, and was athletic director at Manhattan College. He was also executive director of the National Invitation Tournament and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference - The ECAC. He was named to the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2024.[1]
| Playing career | |
|---|---|
| 1955–1958 | Manhattan |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1960–1967 | Mamaroneck HS (NY) |
| 1967–1968 | Manhattan (Asst.) |
| 1968–1978 | Manhattan |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1979–1988 | Manhattan |
| 1988–2005 | NIT (exc. dir.) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 142–114 (.555) |
Playing career
editPowers played for the Manhattan Jaspers men's basketball team from 1955 to 1958. He averaged 15.4 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game during his career.[2] He scored 26 points in Manhattan's 84–75 loss to Uconn in the 1956 NCAA basketball tournament.[3] Manhattan returned to the NCAA tournament in 1958, and Powers scored 29 points in the Jaspers' 89–84 victory over Jerry West and the West Virginia Mountaineers.[4]
Coaching career
editPowers coached football and basketball at Mamaroneck High School before returning to his alma mater in 1967 as an assistant basketball coach.[5][6] The following year, he replaced the retiring Ken Norton as head coach.[6] In his ten seasons as head coach, Powers complied a 142–114 record.[7]
Administration
editPower left coaching in 1978 to accept an administrative position at the school.[8] The following year, he became Manhattan's athletic director.[9] He was the executive director of the National Invitation Tournament from 1988 until the tournament was taken over by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2005.[5][10]
Honors
editPowers has been inducted into the Manhattan College, Mamaroneck High School, Catholic High School Athletic Association, and Brooklyn Old Timers halls of fame.[5] In 2015, he became the first Manhattan men's basketball player to have his uniform number retired.[11] On Sept. 19th, 2024, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Powers was inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the incoming Class of 2024.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Jack Powers '58 will be inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame". July 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "John Powers". Sports Reference College Basketball. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Manhattan vs. Connecticut Box Score (Men), March 13, 1956". Sports Reference College Basketball. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "West Virginia vs. Manhattan Box Score (Men), March 11, 1958". Sports Reference College Basketball. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Serico, Chris (April 11, 2002). "Powers spells basketball success 'NIT'". The Journal News.
- ^ a b "Norton to Quit as Manhattan Coach". The New York Times. May 10, 1968.
- ^ "John Powers". Sports Reference College Basketball. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Mahoney Named Manhattan Coach". The New York Times. July 25, 1978.
- ^ "Transactions". The Altus Times-Democrat. April 11, 1979. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Jack Powers Honored With Spartan Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award". St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartan Athletics. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Manhattan College to retire Jack Powers' No. 34". The San Diego Union - Tribune. September 22, 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Manhattan College's Jack Powers Enters NYC Basketball Hall of Fame". September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.