Charley Eckman
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | September 10, 1921
Died | July 3, 1995 | (aged 73)
Coaching career | 1954–1957 |
Career history | |
As coach: | |
1954–1957 | Fort Wayne / Detroit Pistons |
Career highlights and awards | |
Charles Markwood Eckman Jr. (September 10, 1921 – July 3, 1995) was an American
Early life
Eckman was born in
Officiating career
Eckman's career got sidetracked for two years when he enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in late 1943, but he continued to keep his eyes in shape by refereeing the Reserve intramural basketball games. Upon his discharge in 1945, Eckman moved his wife and newborn son to Arizona, where he had been stationed. He continued to officiate basketball games, this time with the American League West Coast, while working for the Phoenix office of the War Assets Administration.
The
Eckman was ranked as one of the top officials in the NBA during his time as a referee, until 1954, when Pistons owner Fred Zollner signed the 32-year-old Eckman to a three-year coaching contract.
Eckman officiated at the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951, and later was the head coach of the Western Conference All-Star teams in 1955, and 1956, becoming the only person to have officiated and coached in an NBA All-Star Game.[3]
In 1967, after 29 years and over 3,500 collegiate and professional basketball games, Eckman, announced his retirement from officiating, after experiencing leg problems. Eckman is the only person to have ever officiated the
Coaching career
During his first year as head coach, the Pistons finished with a 43–29 record, and first place in the Western Division. During the
Broadcasting career
Eckman began working as a sportscaster on the radio in 1961 with "The voice of the Chesapeake Bay." Later in 1965, Charley accepted a position as sportscaster for
Death
On July 3, 1995, Eckman died of
References
- ^ "Charley Eckman – The Early Years". Archived from the original on 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
- ^ "Charley Eckman". Archived from the original on 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
- ^ Sports personality Charley Eckman dies
- ^ 'One Hell of a Life': Eckman Had Ability to Find Humor Everywhere
- ^ Charley in Charge
- ^ Longtime Basketball Figure Charley Eckman Dies Of Cancer
Further reading
- Charley Eckman and Fred Neil, It's a Very Simple Game! The Life and Times of Charley Eckman, Borderlands Press (1995), ISBN 1-880325-15-2
- Rand Hooper, "Charley Eckman's Rise Basketball's Top Story", The Christian Science Monitor, April 8, 1955, p. 11.