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{{Short description|American basketball coach (1915–1987)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Phil Woolpert
| image = Phil Woolpert, San Francisco Foghorn 1954-12-03 page 8.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Woolpert with San Francisco circa 1954
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|12|15}}
| birth_place = [[Danville, Kentucky]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1987|5|5|1915|12|15}}
| death_place = [[Sequim, Washington]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[Loyola Marymount University|Loyola University 
(CA)]], 1940<br>[[Los Angeles City College|Los Angeles Junior College]]
| player_years1 = 1936–1940
| player_team1 = [[Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball|Loyola (CA)]]
| coach_years1 = 1946–1950
| coach_team1 = [[St. Ignatius College Preparatory|St. Ignatius Prep]]
| coach_years2 = 1950–1959
| coach_team2 = [[San Francisco Dons men's basketball|San Francisco]]
| coach_years3 = 1961–1962
| coach_team3 = [[Oakland Oaks (ABL)|San Francisco Saints]]
| coach_years4 = 1962–1969
| coach_team4 = [[San Diego Toreros men's basketball|San Diego]]
| admin_years1 = 1950–1959
| admin_team1 = [[San Francisco Dons|San Francisco]]
| admin_years2 = 1962–1969
| admin_team2 = [[San Diego Toreros|San Diego]]
| overall_record = 243–168 (college)<br>63–29 (high school)
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 13–2 ([[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA / NCAA University Division]])
| championships = 2 [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] ([[1955 NCAA basketball tournament|1955]], [[1956 NCAA basketball tournament|1956]])<br>4 [[West Coast Conference|CBA/WCAC]] regular season (1955–1958)
| awards = 2× [[UPI College Basketball Coach of the Year|UPI Coach of the Year]] (1955, 1956)<br>4× WCAC Coach of the Year (1955–1958)
| coaching_records = 
| BASKHOF_year = 1992
| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006
| BASKHOF_id = phil-woolpert
}}
'''Philipp D. Woolpert''' (December 15, 1915 – May 5, 1987) was an American [[basketball]] coach, best known as the head coach of the [[University of San Francisco]] [[San Francisco Dons men's basketball|Dons]] in the 1950s. He led them to consecutive [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball champions|national championships]] in [[1954–55 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team|1955]] {{nowrap|and [[1955–56 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team|1956]].<ref name=sivtio>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1968/04/22/609816/triumph-in-obscurity |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Johnson |first=William |title=Triumph in obscurity |date=April 22, 1968 |page=68}}</ref><ref name=nytshp>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/26/sports/phil-woolpert-still-shapes-the-lives-of-the-young.html |work=New York Times |last=Johnson |first=Roy S. |title=Phil Woolpert still shapes the lives of the young |date=November 26, 1981 |page=D15}}</ref><ref name=twagdg>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rwcwAAAAIBAJ&pg=3465%2C4102710 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |last=Cour |first=Jim |title=The tail should never wag the dog |date=December 7, 1982 |page=21}}</ref>}}

==Biography==
Born in [[Danville, Kentucky]], Woolpert was raised in [[Los Angeles]], graduating from [[Manual Arts High School]] in 1933, in the depths of the [[Great Depression]]. {{nowrap|He attended}} [[Los Angeles City College|L.A. Junior College]] and [[Loyola Marymount University|Loyola University]], where he played [[Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball|basketball]] for three years, was initiated into the [[Alpha Delta Gamma]] [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternity]], and graduated in 1940 with a degree in {{nowrap|political science.<ref name=sivtio/>}}

In 1946, Woolpert was hired as basketball coach for [[St. Ignatius College Preparatory]] in [[San Francisco]], where he posted a {{winning percentage|63|29|record=y}} record in his four years as coach. Upon [[Pete Newell]]'s departure for [[Michigan State University]], the University of San Francisco hired Woolpert to succeed Newell. He assumed both the posts of men's basketball coach and athletic director.

During his tenure at USF, Woolpert posted a {{winning percentage|153|78|record=y}} record, including a 60-game win streak that at the time was the longest in college basketball, surpassed later by [[John Wooden]]'s 88 straight wins at [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|UCLA]]. Woolpert's teams, anchored by [[Bill Russell (basketball)|Bill Russell]], [[K. C. Jones]], [[Gene Brown (basketball)|Gene Brown]], and [[Mike Farmer (basketball)|Mike Farmer]], were known for their defense and held opponents below 60 points on 47 different occasions. USF won the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] in [[1955 NCAA basketball tournament|1955]] and [[1956 NCAA basketball tournament|1956]], and finished third in [[1957 NCAA University Division basketball tournament|1957]]. At the time the youngest college basketball coach to win a national championship, Woolpert also won Coach of the Year honors in 1955 and 1956.

After briefly coaching the [[Oakland Oaks (ABL)|San Francisco Saints]] of the [[American Basketball League (1961–63)|American Basketball League]], Woolpert returned to the college ranks in 1962, this time with the [[San Diego Toreros men's basketball|University of San Diego]].<ref name=sivtio/> While at USD, Woolpert posted a {{nowrap|90–90}} record and served as both men's basketball coach and athletic director.

Woolpert retired from coaching in 1969, and later settled down on the [[Olympic Peninsula]] in [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and became a [[school bus]] driver {{nowrap|in [[Sequim, Washington|Sequim]].<ref name=nytshp/><ref name=twagdg/>}} He died of lung cancer at age 71 at his home {{nowrap|in 1987.<ref name=latm>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-07-sp-4242-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |agency=Associated Press |title=Phil Woolpert is cancer victim at 71; coached USF to pair of NCAA titles |date=May 7, 1987 |access-date=January 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name=mscpw>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aZdMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5072%2C1086739 |work=Spokane Chronicle |title=Miscellany: Phil Woolpert |date=May 6, 1987 |page=D3}}</ref>}}

Woolpert's son Paul was the assistant coach of the G-League [[Los Angeles D-fenders|South Bay Lakers]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yakimaherald.com/sports/professional_sports/woolpert-joins-lakers-d-league-staff/article_b03fe9b6-4c8c-11e5-8323-abc07ad1efb8.html|title=Woolpert joins Lakers' D-League staff|date=27 August 2015 }}</ref>

==Head coaching record==

===College===
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[San Francisco Dons men's basketball|San Francisco Dons]]
 | conference = Independent
 | startyear  = 1950
 | endyear    = 1952
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1950–51 NCAA men's basketball season|1950–51]]
 | name         = San Francisco
 | overall      = 9–17
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1951–52 NCAA men's basketball season|1951–52]]
 | name         = San Francisco
 | overall      = 11–13
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[San Francisco Dons men's basketball|San Francisco Dons]]
 | conference = [[West Coast Conference|California Basketball Association / West Coast Athletic Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1952
 | endyear    = 1959
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1952–53 NCAA men's basketball season|1952–53]]
 | name         = San Francisco
 | overall      = 10–11
 | conference   = 6–2
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season|1953–54]]
 | name         = San Francisco
 | overall      = 14–7
 | conference   = 8–4
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | season       = [[1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season|1954–55]]
 | name         = [[1954–55 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team|San Francisco]]
 | overall      = 28–1
 | conference   = 12–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1955 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Champion]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | season       = [[1955–56 NCAA men's basketball season|1955–56]]
 | name         = [[1955–56 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team|San Francisco]]
 | overall      = 29–0
 | conference   = 14–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1956 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Champion]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1956–57 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1956–57]]
 | name         = [[1956–57 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team|San Francisco]]
 | overall      = 21–7
 | conference   = 12–2
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1957 NCAA University Division basketball tournament|NCAA University Division Third Place]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1957–58]]
 | name         = San Francisco
 | overall      = 25–2
 | conference   = 12–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1958 NCAA University Division basketball tournament|NCAA University Division Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1958–59 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1958–59]]
 | name         = San Francisco
 | overall      = 6–20
 | conference   = 3–9
 | confstanding = 6th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = San Francisco
 | overall    = 153–78 ({{Winning percentage|153|78}})
 | confrecord = 67–17 ({{Winning percentage|62|17}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[San Diego Toreros men's basketball|San Diego Toreros]]
 | conference = Independent
 | startyear  = 1962
 | endyear    = 1969
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1962–63
 | name         = San Diego
 | overall      = 6–19
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1963–64
 | name         = San Diego
 | overall      = 13–13
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1964–65
 | name         = San Diego
 | overall      = 15–11
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1965–66
 | name         = San Diego
 | overall      = 17–11
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1966–67
 | name         = San Diego
 | overall      = 14–11
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = [[1966 NCAA College Division basketball tournament|NCAA Division II]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1967–68
 | name         = San Diego
 | overall      = 15–10
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1968–69
 | name         = San Diego
 | overall      = 10–15
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = San Diego
 | overall    = 90–90 ({{Winning percentage|90|90}})
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
 | overall = 243–168 ({{Winning percentage|243|168}})
}}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Basketballhof|phil-woolpert}}
* [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/phil-woolpert-1.html Sports-Reference] – Phil Woolpert
* {{IMDb name|nm0941278}}

{{Navboxes
| list1 =
{{San Francisco Dons athletic director navbox}}
{{San Francisco Dons men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{San Diego Toreros men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{1955 San Francisco Dons men's basketball navbox}}
{{1956 San Francisco Dons men's basketball navbox}}
{{UPI College Basketball Coach of the Year}}
{{West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{1992 Basketball HOF}}
{{Basketball Hall of Fame coaches}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolpert, Phil}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1987 deaths]]
[[Category:American Basketball League (1961–62) coaches]]
[[Category:American men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Kentucky]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Kentucky]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Los Angeles City Cubs men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:People from Danville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:People from Sequim, Washington]]
[[Category:San Diego Toreros athletic directors]]
[[Category:San Diego Toreros men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:San Francisco Dons athletic directors]]
[[Category:San Francisco Dons men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

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