Harry Booth (January 19, 1940 – September 12, 2022) was an American
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
and
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
for the
Saint Joseph's Hawks
The Saint Joseph's Hawks are the athletic teams that represent Saint Joseph's University of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Hawks compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference a ...
, representing
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...
. He also attended Saint Joseph's and played for their baseball and basketball teams.
Early life and playing career
Booth was born on January 19, 1940, in
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.Bishop Neumann High School and then attended
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...
. At Saint Joseph's, Booth played for the
Saint Joseph's Hawks baseball
The Saint Joseph's Hawks baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The team is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, which is part of the National Colleg ...
as a
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...
, twice being named to the All-
Middle Atlantic Conference
The Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) is an umbrella organization of three athletic conferences that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The 18 member colleges are in the Mid-Atlantic United States.
The organization is divided into two main con ...
team. In his junior and senior years, Booth led his team in
runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...
,
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s, and
extra-base hit
In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire anot ...
Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball
The Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team represents Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Saint Joseph's compete ...
team, playing in three consecutive
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
for both the baseball and basketball teams. He graduated from Saint Joseph's in 1962.
Wyncote, Pennsylvania
Wyncote is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It borders the northwestern and northeastern section of Philadelphia. Wyncote is located 11 miles from Center City Philadelphia at the southeastern ...
, in July 1962. He also became an assistant coach for Saint Joseph's baseball team. Saint Joseph's named Booth the head coach of their freshman baseball team in March 1964, and then as the head coach of the varsity baseball team in August 1964. Booth coached the baseball team from 1965 to 1974 and had a 140–80–5 record. His .633
winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
is the highest for all St. Joseph's baseball coaches.
In 1966, Booth became an assistant coach for the varsity men's basketball team. In 1970, he was named the head coach of Saint Joseph's freshmen men's basketball team. After the firing of Jack McKinney, the head coach of Saint Joseph's varsity basketball team, Booth succeeded him, while stepping down as head coach of the baseball team. Booth coached the men's basketball team through the 1978 season, after which he was fired. He coached the Hawks' men's basketball team to a record. Booth joined the
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball
The Villanova Wildcats men's basketball program represent Villanova University in men's college basketball and competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. Their first season was the 1920–21 season. Named the "Wildcats", Villanova is ...
team as a volunteer assistant coach in 1981. He coached for Villanova when they won the
1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 team ...
. He also worked in sales. Booth left Villanova in 1986 to focus on his business career.
Saint Joseph's inducted Booth into their Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. The Harry Booth Award, given to a member of the baseball team for outstanding contributions, was inaugurated in 2010.
Personal life
Booth and his wife, Toni, had four children. His son, Kevin, played college basketball at Mount Saint Mary's College, and his grandson, Michael, played college basketball for Saint Joseph's. Booth died on September 12, 2022, following a short illness. He was 82.