Lenny Sachs
Encyclopedia
Leonard David Sachs was an American basketball
and football
coach
and player. In 1961, he was posthumously enshrined as a coach in the Basketball Hall of Fame
.
He was born in Chicago
, Illinois
on August 7, 1897. Sachs attended Carl Schurz High School in Chicago, Illinois, where he earned 11 varsity letters before his graduation in 1914. Upon graduation from high school, Sachs joined the US Navy during World War I
, where he continued playing sports, earning an All-Service team honorable mention in football in 1918 while playing on the Cleveland Naval Reserves football team.
After the war, Sachs enrolled at Chicago's American College of Physical Education (which later merged with DePaul University
) and graduated in 1923. While at college, Sachs played for the Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League
from 1920 to 1922.
Sachs was hired as basketball coach in 1923 at Loyola University Chicago
, even while continuing his NFL career. From 1923 to 1926 Sachs played for the Milwaukee Badgers
, Hammond Pros
, and Louisville Colonels
, ending his career as a player-coach for the 1926 Louisville Colonels, a road-only team based in Chicago. Sachs was also an assistant football coach at Loyola on the staff of head coach Roger Kiley.
After abandoning his NFL career, Sachs began to flourish as a basketball coach. In the 1926-27 season, the Loyola basketball team improved to 13-4. In 1927-28, the team set a new Loyola record for wins in a season by earning a record of 16-4. And in 1928-29, Loyola was a perfect 16-0 under Sachs' guidance. Loyola recorded 31 consecutive victories between 1928-1930.
In the 1930s, Sachs developed an innovative fast-break offense and a 2-2-1 zone defense
that prompted a rule change in 1937 to prevent goaltending. His 1938-39 team was 21-0 before losing to 44-32 to Long Island University
in the National Invitational Tournament Final at Madison Square Garden
.
On October 27, 1942, Sachs was killed by a heart attack while advising the Wendell Phillips High School football team for their appearance in the Chicago Public League championship. He was 45 years old.
Sachs amassed a record of 224-129 as a college basketball coach. In 1935 he earned a graduate degree from Loyola.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and player. In 1961, he was posthumously enshrined as a coach in the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
.
He was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on August 7, 1897. Sachs attended Carl Schurz High School in Chicago, Illinois, where he earned 11 varsity letters before his graduation in 1914. Upon graduation from high school, Sachs joined the US Navy during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, where he continued playing sports, earning an All-Service team honorable mention in football in 1918 while playing on the Cleveland Naval Reserves football team.
After the war, Sachs enrolled at Chicago's American College of Physical Education (which later merged with DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
) and graduated in 1923. While at college, Sachs played for the Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1920 to 1922.
Sachs was hired as basketball coach in 1923 at Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, even while continuing his NFL career. From 1923 to 1926 Sachs played for the Milwaukee Badgers
Milwaukee Badgers
The Milwaukee Badgers were a professional American football team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that played in the National Football League from 1922 to 1926. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, later known as Borchert Field, on Milwaukee's north side...
, Hammond Pros
Hammond Pros
The Hammond Pros from Hammond, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1926 as a traveling team.-History:The Pros were established by Paul Parduhn and Dr. Alva Young who was a boxing promoter, owner of a racing stable and a doctor and trainer for a semi-pro football team...
, and Louisville Colonels
Louisville (NFL)
Louisville, Kentucky had two professional American football teams in the National Football League: the Breckenridges from 1921 to 1923 and the Colonels in 1926. The NFL intended for the Brecks to be a traveling team, however the team played a series of "home" games...
, ending his career as a player-coach for the 1926 Louisville Colonels, a road-only team based in Chicago. Sachs was also an assistant football coach at Loyola on the staff of head coach Roger Kiley.
After abandoning his NFL career, Sachs began to flourish as a basketball coach. In the 1926-27 season, the Loyola basketball team improved to 13-4. In 1927-28, the team set a new Loyola record for wins in a season by earning a record of 16-4. And in 1928-29, Loyola was a perfect 16-0 under Sachs' guidance. Loyola recorded 31 consecutive victories between 1928-1930.
In the 1930s, Sachs developed an innovative fast-break offense and a 2-2-1 zone defense
Zone defense
Zone defense is a type of defense, used in team sports, which is the alternative to man-to-man defense; instead of each player guarding a corresponding player on the other team, each defensive player is given an area known as a "zone" to cover....
that prompted a rule change in 1937 to prevent goaltending. His 1938-39 team was 21-0 before losing to 44-32 to Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
in the National Invitational Tournament Final at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
On October 27, 1942, Sachs was killed by a heart attack while advising the Wendell Phillips High School football team for their appearance in the Chicago Public League championship. He was 45 years old.
Sachs amassed a record of 224-129 as a college basketball coach. In 1935 he earned a graduate degree from Loyola.