The Bronx Basketball Hall of Fame they just nominated “Digger” Phelps for 2026

Let's review his contribution: He spent one year at Fordham and had a great year. He then left for Notre Dame and never looked back. Good career move. Not so good for a Bronx Institution such as BBHoF or as a well remembered member of Fordham's Coaching history.

For Starters-he’s a Beacon, New York guy.

He was born in Beacon, New York, on July 4th 1941. In 1963, at Rider College (now Rider University), he became a graduate assistant where he had played his collegiate basketball.[1]

Phelps led the (Fordham) Rams to a 24–2 record in the 1970–71 regular season and a #9 national ranking. The program made it to the “Sweet Sixteen” in the NCAA Tournament that season. [2]

By May of that year he was announced as the new head coach at Notre Dame.[3]

Citing A Letter He Had Written Them Years Earlier

In 1965, (Notre Dame)... head football coach Ara Parseghian received a letter from the 24-year old Phelps, who was a first-year high school coach in Hazelton, PA. The letter basically told Parseghian that he wanted to be the head basketball coach at Notre Dame some day.[4]

Was Phelps Networking For The Irish Job While Still Coaching The Rams in 1971?

I came across an interesting article on the Notre Dame Sports Web site (https://fightingirish.com/). Here it is: “...Fordham defeated Notre Dame that night 94-88. It was Notre Dame’s only loss over the last eight games of the regular season. The victory also gave Phelps a common accomplishment with Parseghian. Ara had impressed Notre Dame administrators by beating Notre Dame as Northwestern coach four times from 1959-62 before he was hired by Notre Dame president Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. Now Phelps had beaten the Irish on the brightest stage in the college basketball world (Madison Square Garden). “That night I sold New York City on Fordham’s basketball program. And, I sold Roger Valdiserri (the ND long time Sports Information Director) that I could be the next coach at Notre Dame.”

Smart Career Move. Right For Notre Dame. Wrong For BBHoF.

Richard “Digger” Phelps (I assume those who took the trouble to read this know his family was in the mortuary business) has had an extraordinary life. His head coaching career, completed in 1991, produced a 419–198 won-loss record. He followed his 20 years of coaching with 20 years as a broadcaster for ESPN (retiring in 2014).

Phelps was instrumental in the restoration of various programs at John McDonogh High School in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. His gifts helped to restore the sports program and helped to launch a four-year Culinary Academy in partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the Recovery School District on December 15, 2010. [5]

Photo: Phelps nominated into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020