Also, he would talk while the producers were talking to him through his earpiece, during commercials, and while the play-by-play man was talking. He missed his first-ever production meeting when he was walking the streets of Chicago. Vitale was not a natural at first for broadcasting.
His first play-by-play partner was Joe Boyle. He called ESPN's first college basketball game on December 5, 1979, when DePaul defeated Wisconsin 90-77.
#LOVE AND BASKETBALL FULL MOVIE FREE ONLINE DOWNLOAD TV#
I want to get back to where I belong and my spirit belongs." He was reluctant to accept the position but his wife Lorraine told him to "go on TV and have some fun", so Vitale accepted on a temporary basis until another coaching job became available. His first reaction to the job of broadcaster was "Absolutely no way. Boston then traded the two picks to the Warriors (who selected Joe Barry Carroll with the #1 pick and Rickey Brown with the #13 pick) in exchange for Robert Parish and the #3 pick (Kevin McHale).įollowing his departure as coach of the Detroit Pistons, Scotty Connal gave Vitale his first TV opportunity at the then fledgling ESPN cable network. The Pistons would have the worst season in franchise history in 1979-80, and their pick would become the first overall pick in the 1980 draft. The Pistons sent two 1980 first-round draft picks (in addition to Carr) to the Celtics in exchange for McAdoo in a combination free agent signing/trade. Carr's decision to sign with Boston as a free agent in 1979 spawned a transaction in which the Pistons, entitled to compensation for Carr, demanded Bob McAdoo, who the Celtics were looking to unload due to injuries. The primary reason for Vitale's downfall with the Pistons was the maneuver that brought Bob McAdoo to Detroit. It was twelve games into the 1979-80 season, after the Pistons struggled to a 4-8 start. On November 8, 1979, Pistons owner Bill Davidson came to Vitale's house and told him that the Pistons were making a coaching change. Vitale coached the Detroit Pistons of the NBA for the 1978-79 season, leading them to a 30-52 (.366) record.
Following the 1977 season, his fourth as Detroit head coach, Vitale was named the university's athletic director. During that streak the Titans defeated the eventual champion Marquette on the road in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Vitale had a 78-30 record during his tenure at Detroit, which included a 21-game winning streak during the 1977 season. Vitale took Detroit to the 32-team NCAA tournament in 1977. After two seasons there, he was hired in 1973 by the University of Detroit to become its head coach. In 1971, Vitale moved to Rutgers University as an assistant coach under head coach Dick Lloyd. Eventually he moved up to the high school level to become head coach at Garfield High School for one season, and then at East Rutherford High School (his alma mater). Vitale took his first job as a coach at an elementary school in Garfield, New Jersey in 1959.