Prof And The Passaic Wonder Teams (SP) (B)

The true story of one of basketball’s first great coaches. Before there was a Coach K, a Calipari, a Knight, a Dean Smith, an Adolph Rupp, a Wizard of Westwood, or even a Phog Allen, there was “Professor” Ernest Blood, one of the true pioneers of basketball. In a 55-year Hall of Fame coaching career, that saw him win 1,268 games while losing only 165, Prof’s philosophies would become the fundamentals of the modern game, making him arguably the “father” of all coaches. An account of not only how a great coach became the architect of one of the game’s great records – the legendary winning streak of 159 games at Passaic High School, New Jersey, which is still a record today – but also of the amazing antagonism he received from contentious, egotistical members of the community who were envious of his success, “Prof And The Passaic Wonder Teams,” is a terrific sports story that goes well beyond the lines of the basketball court. Writers: Eric Nemoto, Dr. Charles “Chic” Hess. Pages: 149.