VILLANOVA, Pa. – Former Villanova basketball coach Jack Kraft has died at 93.
The school said in a statement Friday he died Thursday in New Jersey.
Kraft coached the Wildcats for a dozen seasons, including a 1971 appearance in the NCAA title game. He finished with 238 victories at the school.
Villanova coach Jay Wright called Kraft "a winner, a gentleman and an outstanding coach."
Kraft joined Villanova in 1961 and led the team to a 21-7 record and the first of six appearances in the NCAA tournament. In 1971, a 23-6 record got the team to the Final Four for the first time since 1939. The Wildcats lost to UCLA 68-62 in the final.
Kraft, who later coached at the University of Rhode Island, was honored at the Pavilion in 2011, 50 years after his first win, before many former players.
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