George Ireland

George Ireland was an American basketball coach who led Loyola University Chicago to the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.

Background

Ireland was an All-American basketball player at the University of Notre Dame during the 1930s. His first coaching job was at Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois, which he led to 262-87 record from 1936 to 1951. In 1951, he succeed John Jordan, a former teammate at Notre Dame, as head coach at Loyola University Chicago, and he remained at Loyola until 1975. [http://www.luc.edu/orgs/phoenix/sept19ire.htm http://www.luc.edu/orgs/phoenix/sept19ire.htm] .] Ireland encouraged full-court press and a high-speed style of play, and in 1961 he became the first coach of a major college program to use a lineup of five African American players. (This was particularly notable at the time, as some schools refused to play against a team with even one black player.) [http://www.ramblermania.com/1963/index.htm http://www.ramblermania.com/1963/index.htm] .] [ [http://www.ramblermania.com/history.htm http://www.ramblermania.com/history.htm] .]

1963 Championship

The highlight of Ireland's coaching career occurred in 1963, when he guided the Loyola Ramblers to the national collegiate championship. Ireland's team, led by Jerry Harkness and Les Hunter, compiled a 23-2 regular season record and finished first in the country in scoring. They defeated Tennessee Tech 114-42 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and after victories over Mississippi State, Illinois and Duke, the Ramblers reached the finals, were they faced defending champion Cincinnati. Loyola trailed Cincinnati by 15 points with 10 minutes left in the game, but the Ramblers rallied to force an overtime session, winning the game 60-58 with a last-second tip-in by Vic Rouse. [http://www.luc.edu/orgs/phoenix/sept19ire.htm http://www.luc.edu/orgs/phoenix/sept19ire.htm] ] [http://www.ramblermania.com/1963/index.htm http://www.ramblermania.com/1963/index.htm] ] Loyola remains the only team in Illinois to have won an NCAA Championship.

Later career

Under Ireland, the Loyola Ramblers returned to the NCAA Tournament in 1964, 1966, and 1968, although they never repeated the success of 1963. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ireland coached LaRue Martin, who became the first overall pick of the 1972 NBA Draft. However, Martin's NBA career lasted just four seasons, prompting analysts to call him one of the biggest busts in NBA history. [ [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/sports_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_83_4402063,00.html http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/sports_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_83_4402063,00.html] .] Ireland left Loyola in 1975 with a 321-255 record, good for a .557 winning percentage. He later worked as a volunteer coach for mentally-handicapped children in Skokie, Illinois. On September 14, 2001, he died at the age of 88 in Addison, Illinois. [http://www.luc.edu/orgs/phoenix/sept19ire.htm http://www.luc.edu/orgs/phoenix/sept19ire.htm] ]

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