MCGUIRE, AL

born , Sept. 7, 1928, New York City byname of Alfred James McGuire U.S. collegiate basketball coach, who was a master at game coaching. McGuire learned basketball in the hard school of Queens street basketball. He later played for St. John's Preparatory School and St. John's College, both in Brooklyn, and played in the professional National Basketball Association, with the New York Knickerbockers (195154) and with the Baltimore Bullets (195455). He then turned to coaching. McGuire coached at Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H., 195557), at Belmont Abbey College (Belmont, N.C.; 195764), and in 1965 became basketball coach at Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wis.; also athletic director from 1971), where he remained until retirement in 1977. His career record was 404 games won and 114 lost. At Marquette, his teams won 295 games and lost 80. His teams played in 11 post-season tournaments, including 9 National Collegiate Athletic Associate championships, winning in 1977, the last game McGuire coached. He was a master of tactics in the final minutes of games. His penchant for drawing technical fouls from officials was viewed as a weakness by his critics and as a psychological ploy by his admirers. After retirement he became a sports equipment manufacturing executive and a television commentator for collegiate games.