A native of Chester, he played at St. James High and also helped VFW teams win championships in the Chester-Rec League. He played for Jack Ramsay at Saint Joseph's University, then became an assistant coach at St. James High before becoming head coach in 1960. His 1960 St. James team advanced to the Catholic League playoff finals. In 1961, he became an assistant coach under Ramsay at Saint Joseph's. After five years as head coach of the freshman team, he became head coach at Philadelphia Textile in 1965 and had a 21-6 record in his only season there. He returned to Saint Joseph's as head basketball coach and athletic director in 1966 and had a 144-77 record in eight seasons as head coach, winning five Middle Atlantic Conference titles and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament five times. He joined Ramsay's coaching staff with the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association and helped the team to the NBA playoff title in 1977. In 1979, he became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers but was injured in a biking accident in 1980 and had to leave the team. He became head coach of the NBA's Indiana Pacers in 1981, led the team to 44 victories and a playoff appearance against the Philadelphia 76ers and was named NBA Coach of the Year.