Jim Phelan

“He was a good man, a good coach who was chosen. God chose him to open the doors at Mount St. Mary’s to make it a culturally diversified school.”

“When I got drafted by the Baltimore Bullets, everyone in Philadelphia said I wouldn’t make it. I wasn’t good enough. They didn’t realize that I was taught by Coach Phelan. He taught me how to shoot. He taught me toughness. He taught me how to play. I made the Baltimore Bullets and in one year was 20th in the league in scoring. I know what Coach has done for me. All these things are just snapshots. The big picture is what Coach Phelan did that changed the landscape of Mount St. Mary’s. When he brought me in, it opened the door for African-American students to come to Mount St. Mary’s, long before all the other institutions. He had an idea. God gave him the thought, and he acted on it.”

“He was a man who found happiness not in fame or fortune but in his friends, family and the satisfaction of a career he deeply loved. We will miss his smile, his laughter, his self-deprecating charm— always ready with a story or a one-liner. He will be remembered not just because of basketball, but also because he lived a life of faith, kindness and integrity and he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and beloved coach, and friend to so many.”

“Coach Phelan served as a role model not only to his players, but also to every student at Mount St. Mary’s. He was a man dedicated to his family as a loving husband, a caring father and a proud grandfather. He was a man dedicated to his job, spending extra time before, after and in between practices (including with me especially when I was a spindly freshman) to help young men hone their skills and gain confidence. Coach Phelan prepared his players for competition on the court as well as life off the court. To praise Coach Phelan without also recognizing his wife Dottie would be an injustice. Every player’s parents knew that Dottie was looking out for ‘her boys.’ She, too, epitomized the family feeling we shared while on campus and still share today wherever we reside. I am proud to tell everyone that I played for the great coach Jim Phelan.”

“You coached me and loved me as a player. When I took over at the Mount, where most wouldn’t have helped me, you instead showed up once a week and guided me with the advice only a legend could have done. Winning or losing, you always coached me. You always cared for me. You always wanted me to be at my best. That’s exactly what a coach does. Coach Phelan, thank you for showing me what being elite truly looks like each day."

“The path of my coaching career changed in 1998 when I drove up to Emmitsburg to interview with Coach for one of his assistant coaching positions. He’s the reason I was able to be a DI head coach at the age of 32. To this day, I am still honored that he wanted me to run his program once he retired after 49 years at the Mount. And that’s what it was, Coach Phelan’s program, and that’s what it still is.”

“I am fortunate to coach at the place that Coach Phelan built and grateful that he built it on family. I get to share his desk and I get to coach in the gym that he changed lives in—what an honor. His friendship and mentorship were true gifts in my life. He lifted me up during some lean coaching years. I will miss our lunches, his laugh and his storytelling. But I have no doubt that his memory, his LEGACY, will continue to live on for generations to come in the players who he coached, the coaches who he mentored and at Mount St. Mary’s University. The Mount is so lucky you were ours.”

“There are certain awards that mean a lot to you based on who they represent. Jim Phelan was respected throughout our game as a molder of young men and his love for the sport.”

“A man’s man. A coach’s coach. Coach Phelan had an amazing life.”

“He was a Hall of Fame coach. More than that, he was a Hall of Fame person.”

“So fortunate to play for this great coach and man.”

“I am thankful to have had a brief opportunity to play under him. He was intelligent and funny. He gave me the nickname Khalision because of my aggressive play.”

“RIP Coach Phelan. My father’s coach back in the late 50s at the Mount; such a great man. My dad has visited and kept in touch with him throughout his life. That’s the type of impact he had on his players.”

“Jim Phelan’s contributions to the Mount extend further than many people realize. Coach also headed the Mount baseball team back in the days of the Mason Dixon Conference. People look oddly at 5’8” pudgy me when I tell them Phelan was my coach back in the mid-1960s.”

“Grateful to be able to have seen him coach. My favorite Jim Phelan quote: When he retired a reporter asked him ‘How does it feel to be the coach with the most wins in NCAA history?’ He responded, ‘Well, it feels about the same as having the most losses.’ That humbleness in success is something I will always remember and emulate. RIP Coach.”

“RIP, Coach. I have fond memories of you coaching the 1998, 1999 and 2000 teams.”

“Many fond memories of Coach leading our Mounties to a thrilling win in the airplane hanger.”