Frank McGuire
1957 NCAA Champion | Philadelphia Warriors Head Coach | Hall of Fame Coach
Frank McGuire was born on November 8, 1913, in New York City. He became one of college basketball's notable coaches, guiding North Carolina to an undefeated season and the 1957 NCAA championship.
McGuire moved to the NBA in 1961 as head coach of the Philadelphia Warriors. In his only NBA season, he coached Wilt Chamberlain during the center's historic 50.4-points-per-game campaign and 100-point game.
Philadelphia finished 49-31 and reached the Eastern Division Finals, where the Warriors lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics.
McGuire returned to college coaching at South Carolina, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1977, and passed away on October 11, 1994, at the age of 80.
- Overall Coaching Record: 49-31
Coaching Career
Philadelphia hired McGuire in August 1961 after his successful tenure at North Carolina. The Warriors finished 49-31 in his single NBA season.
Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game under McGuire. On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks.
The Warriors defeated the Syracuse Nationals in the Eastern Division Semifinals before losing a seven-game Eastern Division Finals series to the eventual champion Boston Celtics.
After that season McGuire left the NBA for the University of South Carolina. His NBA regular-season record remained 49-31.
Notable Players Coached
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Hall of Fame center; 100-point game and 50.4 PPG in 1961-1962
- Paul Arizin
- Hall of Fame forward; 10-time NBA All-Star
- Tom Gola
- Hall of Fame guard-forward
- Guy Rodgers
- Four-time NBA All-Star guard