Harry Litwack

Harry Litwack

Litwack during the 1964–65 season.
Biographical details
Born	(1907-09-20)September 20, 1907 Galicia, Austria-Hungary (modern-day Poland)
Died	August 7, 1999(1999-08-07) (aged 91) Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1927–1930	Temple
1930–1936	Philadelphia Sphas
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1948–1951	Philadelphia Warriors (assistant)
1952–1973	Temple
Head coaching record
Overall	373–193
Tournaments	7–6 (NCAA) 9–6 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 NCAA Regional – Final Four (1956, 1958) NIT (1969) 4 MAC (1964, 1967, 1969, 1972)
Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1976 (profile)

Harold "Chief" Litwack (September 20, 1907 – August 7, 1999) was an American college basketball coach. He served as head basketball coach at Temple University from 1952 to 1973, compiling a record of 373–193. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Coaching career

Litwack was born in Galicia, Austria-Hungary (modern-day Poland) but raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Temple in 1930. He began his coaching career at Simon Gratz High School (1930–31), then he became head coach of the freshman team at Temple. Meanwhile, he was playing pro basketball with Eddie Gottlieb's all-Jewish Philadelphia Sphas, from 1930 to 1936. Before he became head coach at Temple in 1952, he also served briefly as assistant coach for the Philadelphia Warriors (1948–51). He died at the age of 91 in 1999.[1]

He coached Team USA's gold medal-winning team at the 1957 Maccabiah Games in Israel, and its silver medal-winning team at the 1973 Maccabiah Games.[2][3]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Temple Owls (Independent) (1952–1958)
1952–53	Temple	16–10
1953–54	Temple	15–12
1954–55	Temple	11–10
1955–56	Temple	27–4			NCAA Third Place
1956–57	Temple	20–9			NIT Third Place
1957–58	Temple	27–3			NCAA University Division Third Place
Temple Owls (Middle Atlantic Conference) (1958–1973)
1958–59	Temple	6–19	4–7	9th
1959–60	Temple	17–9	9–2	3rd	NIT First Round
1960–61	Temple	20–8	9–1	2nd	NIT Quarterfinals
1961–62	Temple	18–9	8–2	2nd	NIT Quarterfinals
1962–63	Temple	15–7	6–3	4th
1963–64	Temple	17–8	6–1	1st	NCAA University Division first round
1964–65	Temple	14–10	4–3	4th
1965–66	Temple	21–7	5–3	4th	NIT Quarterfinals
1966–67	Temple	20–8	7–0	1st	NCAA University Division first round
1967–68	Temple	19–9	5–3	4th	NIT First Round
1968–69	Temple	22–8	6–1	1st	NIT Champions
1969–70	Temple	15–13	6–2	T–3rd (Eastern)	NCAA University Division first round
1970–71	Temple	13–12	3–3	4th (Eastern)
1971–72	Temple	23–8	5–0	1st (Eastern)	NCAA University Division first round
1972–73	Temple	17–10	4–1	2nd (Eastern)
Temple:		373–193	87–32
Total:		373–193
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

See also

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four appearances by coach

References

1. Goldstein, Richard (9 August 1999). "Harry Litwack, 91, Dies; Basketball Coach". The New York Times.
2. "Americans Capture Basketball Title at Maccabiah Games; U. S. FIVE DOWNS ISRAELS, 79 TO 62 Wins Championship for Third Straight Time--Israel Takes Swim Crown American Bid Fails New Yorker Fifth". The New York Times.
3. Blaustein, Esther (5 July 1981). "Sports; COACH SET FOR ISRAELI GAMES". The New York Times.