John M. Prenderville
John M. Prenderville was an American athlete and government official who played and coached basketball at St. Francis Preparatory School and St. Francis College and served as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission and deputy commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Died | October 26, 2019 (aged 86) Troy, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | St. Francis College |
| Playing career | |
| Basketball | |
| 1950–1953 1955–1956 | St. Francis (NY) St. Francis (NY) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1963–1973 1973–1975 | St. Francis Prep (NY) St. Francis (NY) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1974–1994 1978–1983 | NYS OPRHP (Dep. Com.) NYSAC (Chair) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 18–32 (NCAA) |
Athletic career
Prenderville grew up in Park Slope and played basketball St. Francis Preparatory School and St. Francis College.[1] His playing career was interrupted by the Korean War. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955.[2] He was a member of the St. Francis team that made it to the semifinals of the 1956 National Invitation Tournament.[3] He graduated from St. Francis College in 1956.[4]
Coaching career
From 1963 to 1973, Prenderville was the varsity and junior varsity basketball coach at St. Francis Prep. In 1973 he succeeded his former teammate Lester Yellin as the head coach at St. Francis College.[3] In two seasons he compiled a record of 18–32.[4]
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis Terriers (NCAA Division I independent) (1973–1975) | |||||||||
| 1973–74 | St. Francis | 11–13 | |||||||
| 1974–75 | St. Francis | 7–19 | |||||||
| Total: | 18–32 | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
Government service
Prenderville began his career in politics as an assistant to Congressman Hugh L. Carey.[2] Prenderville later ran Carey's Brooklyn office and when Carey became Governor of New York, Prenderville was appointed deputy commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.[1] In 1977, Prenderville helped create the Empire State Games.[2] In February 1978 he was named acting chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission.[1] He was promoted to permanent chairman that July.[5] He was replaced by John R. Branca as athletic commission chairman in 1983 but continued to serve as Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Recreation until 1994.[6]
Later life
Prenderville served as president of the American Housing Foundation, which provided affordable rental apartments for the elderly in the Capital Region. He died on October 26, 2019, in Samaritan Hospital in Troy, New York.[2]
References
- Smith, Red (February 24, 1978). "Newest and Biggest Boxing Czar". The New York Times.
- "John M. Prenderville". Hans Funeral Home. Hans Funeral Home. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "People in Sports: Stasiuk Goes". The New York Times. May 11, 1973.
- "Jack Prenderville". Sports Reference College Basketball. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "Prenderville Succeeds Farley". The New York Times. July 8, 1975.
- "John Branca Heads Sports Commission". The New York Times. July 13, 1983.