It took 52 years – and a pandemic – but Digger Phelps’ 1970-71 Fordham University Rams will be honored by the University inside the Rose Hill Gym, February 25th.
The 1970-71 Rams won 26 of 29 ballgame and reached the East Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. They’ll be recognized at halftime of Fordham’s home game against the University of Rhode Island. In addition, Charlie Yelverton’s 34 will become the fourth men’s basketball number raised to the Rose Hill Gym rafters.
But what about their coach –Digger Phelps? A rafters banner? A place in the Fordham Hall of Fame?
All Digger did was inherit a 10-15 team at Fordham, as a 28-year-old coach.
And the logical question at the time, “Why take the job?”
“They already know how to lose,” he told the Brooklyn Eagle from his South Bend, Ind., home, “Now, I get to teach them how to win.”
And he did – boy did he ever.
In January, 1971 Fordham was ranked as high as ninth in the country. In February, they sold out Madison Square Garden – the first-ever sellout in the new Garden – when they hosted 14th ranked Notre Dame and No. 2 Marquette.
Phelps had a four-year contract at Fordham, yet then school President Father Walsh told the young coach: “In the next three years, if the right job comes along – leave, for what you did for us in just one year.”
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Notre Dame called – Digger answered – and for the next 20 years all he did was win 393 of 590 games (.666), make the NCAA tournament 14 years and graduate 56 of his 56 players.
One of those Fordham players was Brooklyn’s Kenny Charles via Brooklyn Prep. He re-wrote the Rams record book when he joined the varsity in 1970. Charles averaged 15.3 points-per-game on that 26-3 team – and the two-time captain set the school record for most points in a season as a senior with 679 in 1972-73 – a record that still stands. He…
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