Inducted 1995

Alfred “Al’ McGuire (September 7, 1928 – January 26, 2001) was the legendary head coach of the Marquette University men’s basketball team from 1964-1977.  He attended St. John’s University in New York City where he played four years.  After college, McGuire played in the NBA with the New York Knicks and the Baltimore Bullets. He began his head coaching career at Belmont Abbey College where he recruited many high school players off the streets of New York.  In 1964 he became head coach at Marquette University which is where he made a name for himself. He led his team to their only NCAA Championship in school history in 1977 and also holds an NIT Championship and a Final Four appearance under his belt.  After retiring from coaching, McGuire became a popular commentator for NBC Sports and CBS Sports and his on-air arguments with Billy Packer helped increase the popularity of college basketball across the United States. 26 of his players were drafted into the NBA, and 92 percent of his student-athletes completed requirements to earn their degrees from Marquette. He was elected into the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 1992.