Jack Kraft
{{Short description|American basketball player-coach (1921–2014)}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2010}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Jack Kraft
| image = Jack_Kraft.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Kraft from the 1975 Renaissance Yearbook
| current_record =
| contract =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|2|10}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|8|28|1921|2|10}}
| death_place = Cape May Court House, New Jersey, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1939–1942
| player_team1 = Saint Joseph's
| player_positions =
| coach_years1 = 1948–1960
| coach_team1 = Bishop Neumann HS
| coach_years2 = 1960–1961
| coach_team2 = Malvern Prep
| coach_years3 = 1961–1973
| coach_team3 = Villanova
| coach_years4 = 1973–1980
| coach_team4 = Rhode Island
| overall_record =
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
John Jack Kraft (February 10, 1921 – August 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach who coached Villanova for 12 years, from 1961 through 1973.[https://books.google.com/books?id=g42TyP-V5C8C&pg=PA277 ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia]. 277. He compiled a 238–95 record (.715). Kraft led Villanova to the NCAA Tournament six times, and five times to the NIT. Only once did Kraft's teams fail to earn a post-season bid, in his final season of 1973. The 1971 team, led by Howard Porter, reached the NCAA Championship game, and lost to UCLA at the height of the UCLA dynasty. However, that appearance was subsequently erased from the books after Porter was retroactively declared ineligible for signing a professional contract midway through his senior year.
Notable players who played for Jack Kraft at Villanova include Chris Ford, Tom Ingelsby, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Howard Porter, Hank Simeontkowski, Jim Washington, and Hubie White.
Kraft died on August 28, 2014, at the age of 93 in Cape May County, New Jersey.{{cite web| last = Kern | first = Mike | title = Jack Kraft, former coach at Villanova, dies at 93 | work = Philadelphia Daily News | date = August 29, 2014 | url = http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/villanova/20140829_Jack_Kraft__former_coach_at_Villanova__dies_at_93.html | access-date = August 29, 2014}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/30/sports/jack-kraft-villanova-basketball-coach-dies-at-93.html?_r=0|title = Jack Kraft, Villanova Basketball Coach, Dies at 93|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 30 August 2014|last1 = Goldstein|first1 = Richard}} In honor of his memory, the Villanova basketball players wore a JK decal on their uniforms for the 2014–15 season.
Head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start|
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|
|name=Villanova Wildcats
|conference=Independent
|startyear=1961
|endyear=1973
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1961–62
| name =Villanova
| overall =21–7
| conference =
| confstanding =
| postseason = NCAA Elite 8
| championship =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1962–63
| name =Villanova
| overall =19–10
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NIT Semifinal/NIT 4th Place
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1963–64
| name =Villanova
| overall =24–4
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NCAA Sweet 16
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1964–65
| name =Villanova
| overall =23–5
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NIT Runner Up
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1965–66
| name =Villanova
| overall =18–11
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NIT Semifinal/NIT 3rd Place
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1966–67
| name =Villanova
| overall =17–9
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NIT 1st Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1967–68
| name =Villanova
| overall =19–9
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NIT Quarterfinals
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1968–69
| name =Villanova
| overall =21–5
| conference =
| confstanding =
| postseason = NCAA 1st Round
| championship =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1969–70
| name =Villanova
| overall =22–7
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NCAA Elite 8
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1970–71
| name = Villanova
| overall = 27–7*
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NCAA Runner Up*
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1971–72
| name =Villanova
| overall =20–8
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NCAA 2nd Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1972–73
| name =Villanova
| overall =11–14
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name =Villanova
| overall =242–96
| confrecord =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=Rhode Island Rams
|conference=Yankee
|startyear=1973
|endyear=1976
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1973–74
| name =Rhode Island
| overall =11–14
| conference =6–5
| confstanding =4th
| postseason =
| championship =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1974–75
| name =Rhode Island
| overall =5–20
| conference =3–7
| confstanding =5th
| postseason =
| championship =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1975–76
| name =Rhode Island
| overall =14–12
| conference =7–5
| confstanding =T-2nd
| championship =
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name =Rhode Island
| overall =30–46
| confrecord =23–37
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=Rhode Island Rams
|conference=independent
|startyear=1976
|endyear=1979
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1976–77
| name =Rhode Island
| overall =13–13
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1977–78
| name =Rhode Island
| overall =24–7
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NCAA 1st Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1978–79
| name = Rhode Island
| overall = 20–9
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = NIT 1st Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Rhode Island
| overall = 57–29
| confrecord =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=Rhode Island Rams
|conference=ECAC North
|startyear=1979
|endyear=1980
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1979–80
| name = Rhode Island
| overall = 15–13
| conference = 14–12
| confstanding = T-4th
| championship =
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1980–81
| name = Rhode Island
| overall = 1–0
| conference =
| confstanding =
| championship =
| postseason = Retire Due To Ill Health
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Rhode Island
| overall = 16–13
| confrecord = 15–12
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Rhode Island
| overall = 103–88
| confrecord = 38–49
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
|overall=345–184
}}
& Record at Villanova is 238–95, and overall record is 341–183, without vacated games.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Villanova Wildcats men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Rhode Island Rams men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kraft, Jack}}
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania
Category:Basketball players from Philadelphia
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States
Category:Rhode Island Rams men's basketball coaches
Category:Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball players
Category:Villanova Wildcats men's basketball coaches
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
{{1920s-US-basketball-bio-stub}}