Neil Cohalan

Cornelius Joseph "Neil" Cohalan (July 31, 1906 – January 22, 1968^[1]) was an American basketball coach. He was the first coach of the New York Knicks and has the distinction of being the winning coach of the first game played in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the forerunner to the modern National Basketball Association (NBA). The game, a November 1, 1946 contest between the Knicks and the Toronto Huskies played in famed Maple Leaf Gardens, was won 68–66 by the Knickerbockers.

Neil Cohalan

Biographical details
Born	(1906-07-31)July 31, 1906 Bronx, New York, U.S.
Died	January 22, 1968(1968-01-22) (aged 61)
Playing career
Football
c. 1927	Manhattan
Basketball
1924–1928	Manhattan
Position(s)	Quarterback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1929–1942	Manhattan
1946–1947	New York Knicks
Head coaching record
Overall	165–82 (college) 33–27 (BAA)

Prior to his pro career, Cohalan was the head basketball coach at Manhattan College from 1924 through 1942, where as a student he played basketball and football.

Head coaching record

Legend

Regular season	G	Games coached	W	Games won	L	Games lost	W–L %	Win–loss %
Playoffs	PG	Playoff games	PW	Playoff wins	PL	Playoff losses	PW–L %	Playoff win–loss %

Team	Year	G	W	L	W–L%	Finish	PG	PW	PL	PW–L%	Result
New York	1946–47	60	33	27	.550	3rd in Eastern	5	2	3	.400	Lost in Semifinals

Source^[2]

References

1. "Jasper, Knick Leader Dies". Daily News. New York, New York. January 23, 1968. p. 60. Retrieved September 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com  .
2. "Neil Cohalan: Coaching Record, Awards". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 24 April 2024.

External links

• BasketballReference.com: Neil Cohalan
• Neil Cohalan at Find a Grave