Jack Nagle
Encyclopedia
Joel "Jack" Nagle was the head coach of the Marquette University
men’s basketball team from 1953-58.
Nagle was educated at Marquette and lettered in both the 1938-39 and 1939-40 seasons, as a reserve guard on the team.
Following graduation, Nagle served in the United States Army Air Corps
(USAAC) from 1940-44. After leaving the military, Nagle was named an assistant coach at Marquette under his former coach, William "Bill" Chandler, and later under Fred "Tex" Winter
. Nagle was named head coach of the Warriors in 1953 after Winter left to return to Kansas State as that school’s head coach.
Nagle was also instrumental in the renaming of the team from the Marquette Hilltoppers to the Warriors.
The first Marquette men’s basketball team to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament
was the 1954-55 team, in Nagle’s second year as head coach. The team had its first ever 20-win season, compiling a 24-3 record. The team reached as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll before finishing the season ranked No. 8. Marquette beat Miami (Ohio) University in the first round of the tournament 90-79 and then beat No. 2 Kentucky, 79-71 in the second round. Marquette then lost to No. 5 Iowa in the Elite Eight
, 86-81.
Nagle’s record over five seasons at Marquette was 69-55 (55.6%).
In 1958, Nagle left the college coaching ranks and took a position at Whitefish Bay High School
in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, teaching freshman English grammar, composition and literature, and coaching the boys’ varsity basketball team from 1958–1973 and the girls’ varsity team from 1973-1988. Both his boys and girls teams made appearances in the Wisconsin state high school basketball tournament. Nagle is the only coach in American basketball history to coach teams in the NCAA tournament and both a boys and girls state high school tournament.
In the 1980s, Nagle was a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers
and later the Dallas Mavericks
.
He was a charter member of the Wisconsin High School Basketball Association Hall of Fame and was voted Wisconsin High School Coach of the Year 10 times. Nagle also served as commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association
.
Nagle was one of the early proponents of summer basketball camps to teach skills, beginning day camps in the mid-1960s.
In 1986, he authored a popular coaching book called Power Pattern Offenses for Winning Basketball.
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
men’s basketball team from 1953-58.
Nagle was educated at Marquette and lettered in both the 1938-39 and 1939-40 seasons, as a reserve guard on the team.
Following graduation, Nagle served in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
(USAAC) from 1940-44. After leaving the military, Nagle was named an assistant coach at Marquette under his former coach, William "Bill" Chandler, and later under Fred "Tex" Winter
Tex Winter
Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is a Hall-of-Fame American basketball coach, and innovator of the triangle offense.-Early life:...
. Nagle was named head coach of the Warriors in 1953 after Winter left to return to Kansas State as that school’s head coach.
Nagle was also instrumental in the renaming of the team from the Marquette Hilltoppers to the Warriors.
The first Marquette men’s basketball team to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
was the 1954-55 team, in Nagle’s second year as head coach. The team had its first ever 20-win season, compiling a 24-3 record. The team reached as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll before finishing the season ranked No. 8. Marquette beat Miami (Ohio) University in the first round of the tournament 90-79 and then beat No. 2 Kentucky, 79-71 in the second round. Marquette then lost to No. 5 Iowa in the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
, 86-81.
Nagle’s record over five seasons at Marquette was 69-55 (55.6%).
In 1958, Nagle left the college coaching ranks and took a position at Whitefish Bay High School
Whitefish Bay High School
Whitefish Bay High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in the village of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, United States. Approximately 950 students attend the school from September through June, in grades 9 through 12...
in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, teaching freshman English grammar, composition and literature, and coaching the boys’ varsity basketball team from 1958–1973 and the girls’ varsity team from 1973-1988. Both his boys and girls teams made appearances in the Wisconsin state high school basketball tournament. Nagle is the only coach in American basketball history to coach teams in the NCAA tournament and both a boys and girls state high school tournament.
In the 1980s, Nagle was a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
and later the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
.
He was a charter member of the Wisconsin High School Basketball Association Hall of Fame and was voted Wisconsin High School Coach of the Year 10 times. Nagle also served as commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
.
Nagle was one of the early proponents of summer basketball camps to teach skills, beginning day camps in the mid-1960s.
In 1986, he authored a popular coaching book called Power Pattern Offenses for Winning Basketball.
Head coaching record
Books authored
- Jack Nagle, Power Pattern Offenses for Winning Basketball, West Nyack, NY: Parker Publishing, 1986 (ISBN 0136877087)