Neil Cohalan
Encyclopedia
Neil Cohalan was a professional basketball
coach. He was the first coach of the New York Knickerbockers
, and has the distinction of being the winning coach of the very first game played in the Basketball Association of America
, the forerunner to the modern NBA. The game, a November 1, 1946 contest between the Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies
played in famed Maple Leaf Gardens
, was won 68-66 by the Knickerbockers.
Prior to his pro career, Cohalan was the coach at Manhattan College
from 1924 through 1942, where as a student he also played college football.
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...
coach. He was the first coach of the New York Knickerbockers
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and has the distinction of being the winning coach of the very first game played in the Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
, the forerunner to the modern NBA. The game, a November 1, 1946 contest between the Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies
Toronto Huskies
The Toronto Huskies were a team in the Basketball Association of America during the 1946–47 season, based in Toronto, Ontario...
played in famed Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
, was won 68-66 by the Knickerbockers.
Prior to his pro career, Cohalan was the coach at Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
from 1924 through 1942, where as a student he also played college football.