Dr. Jack Ramsay

NBA Analyst

Jack Ramsay

Legendary coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Dr. Jack Ramsay serves as lead game analyst for The NBA on ESPN Radio. He had also provided analysis for ESPN’s SportsCenter and ESPN2’s NBA FastBreak, and contributed to ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. Ramsay has worked for ESPN since January 1996, having also had worked for the network in 1992.

Previously, Ramsay had served as color analyst for the Miami Heat games on the Sunshine Network for eight years (1992-2000), and as the Philadelphia 76ers color analyst for three (1989-91).

In 20 full seasons as an NBA head coach, his teams made the playoffs 16 times.  In 1992, he was inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with 864 regular-season coaching victories.  His career was highlighted by two NBA championships as head coach of the 1976-77 Portland Trailblazers, and as general manager of the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers. Additionally, he was named College Coach of the Year in 1966 (Philadelphia Sportswriters), NBA Coach of the Year in 1977 (Basketball Weekly), and selected: among the Top Ten Coaches in NBA History (1996) and inducted into the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame (2003).

Ramsay’s NBA career began in 1966-67 when he was named the general manager of the 76ers. Two years later he moved to the bench, coaching the 76ers to a 55-27 record.  He was the Buffalo Braves’ head coach from 1972-76, joined Portland in 1976 and coached the Trailblazers to a championship in his first season.  He compiled nine winning seasons in his 10 years in Portland (1976-86), then finished his coaching career with the Indiana Pacers (1986-89).

Before joining the NBA, Ramsay compiled a .765 winning percentage (234-72) in 11 seasons coaching his alma mater, St. Joseph’s College in Pennsylvania  – he received a bachelor of science degree in social science in 1949.  He received a Master’s Degree and a Doctorate – both in education – from the University of Pennsylvania in 1952 and 1963, respectively.

A Philadelphia native, Ramsay has authored three books, the most recent Dr. Jack’s Leadership Lessons Learned from a Lifetime in Basketball (winter 2004), Pressure Basketball and The Coach’s Art, and served in the U.S. Navy as Platoon Officer, Underwater Demolition. He is married with five children and 13 grandchildren.

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