PhilaU Basketball Coach Herb Magee Inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame

Herb Magee, Philadelphia University’s legendary men’s basketball coach and one of the most winning DII coaches in NCAA history, was inducted into the fifth class of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Nov. 13.

Magee, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame nominee, remains the leading Division II men’s basketball coach with the most wins all in the NCAA.

“I’m an Irish-Catholic kid from West Philly, I went to the greatest high school in the world, West Catholic high school,” said Magee.  “I played there, I then went to Philadelphia Textile, I now coach at Philadelphia University, and now I’m being inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Philadelphia University will celebrate Magee’s induction at the men’s basketball first home game on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6:40 p.m. in the Gallagher Center.

At the Hall of Fame ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Penn’s Landing, Magee was inducted along with 76ers Coach Maurice Cheeks, former Phillie Ed Delahanty, former Eagle Harold Carmichael and other Philadelphia sports legends.

Magee, who is entering his 42nd season as coach of the Rams, led the team to an NCAA National Championship in 1970, his third year of coaching. As head coach, Magee has taken his team to the NCAA Tournament 23 times.  During that time, he’s had 28 twenty-plus win seasons and one 30-win season.

In addition to racking up 855 career wins as coach, Magee was the top scorer in Rams’ history when he finished his college-playing years. Today, he remains the Rams third all-time high scorer with 2,235 career points.

Including his time as a player and coach, Herb Magee is starting his 50th season at Philadelphia University when the Rams take the court at their first game of the 2008-09 season on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the College of St. Rose.