Neil Cohalan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Neil Cohalan (born July 31, 1906, died January 22, 1968) is a former professional basketball coach. He was the first coach of the New York Knickerbockers, and has the distinction of being the winning coach of the very first game played in the Basketball Association of America, the forerunner to the modern NBA. The game, a November 1, 1946 contest between the Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies played in famed Maple Leaf Gardens, was won 68-66 by the Knickerbockers.

Prior to his pro career, Cohalan was the coach at Manhattan College from 1929 through 1942. Played college football at Manhattan College.

This biographical article relating to a U.S. basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1900s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Initial coach		 New York Knickerbockers Coach
1946–1947		 Succeeded by
Joe Lapchick
v • d • e
New York Knickerbockers
The Franchise
Arenas
Coaches
Cohalan • Lapchick • Boryla • Levane • Braun • Donovan • Gallatin • McGuire • Holzman • Reed • Holzman • H. Brown • Hill • Pitino • Jackson • MacLeod • Riley • Nelson • Van Gundy • Chaney • Williams • Wilkens • Williams • L. Brown • Thomas • D'Antoni
D-League Affiliate
Administration
Madison Square Garden, L.P. (Owner; subsidairy of Cablevision Systems Corp.) • James Dolan (Chairman & CEO) • Donnie Walsh (President & GM of Basketball Ops.) • Mike D'Antoni (Head Coach)
Notable Figures
Retired Numbers
10 • 12 • 15 (McGuire) • 15 (Monroe) • 19 • 22 • 24 • 33 • 613 (in honor of Holzman's total wins as Knicks coach)
NBA Championships (2)
Rivals