Bill Raftery

Legendary, two-time Emmy Award-winning sports analyst and commentator Bill Raftery has covered basketball on television and radio for CBS, Fox Sports and ESPN for over three decades. Raftery’s colorful commentary has brought new life to the NCAA Tournament and Final Four, the Big East Championship, the Big Ten Championship, and the New Jersey Nets telecasts, among many other premier events, and he is beloved for his signature catchphrases such as “with a kiss,” “onions!” and “a little nickel-dimer.” An inductee into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, he is known to combine keen analysis and opinion with unsurpassed enthusiasm for the game.

Earlier in his career, Raftery served as head basketball coach at Seton Hall University, where he is credited with revitalizing the program and leading the Pirates to seven straight winning series. He guided the team to four ECAC postseason tournaments and two National Invitation Tournament appearances. Raftery also served as president of the BIG EAST Coaches Association from 1979-81. Prior to his time at Seton Hall, Raftery coached five years at Fairleigh Dickinson, earning Coach of the Year honors from the New Jersey Basketball Writers Association in his final season with the program.

A standout on the court as well as in the broadcast booth, Raftery played three seasons at LaSalle under legendary coach Donald “Dudley” Moore. During the 1959-60 season, he set a freshman scoring record with 370 points. The next year, he led the varsity team with 17.8 points per game, and in his senior season, he co-captained the Explorers to the National Invitational Tournament. Following his senior campaign, he was drafted by the New York Knicks.

Raftery has won three Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst, in 2015, 2016 and 2018. In 2004, he received a special Victor Sports Award and the Walter Payton ‘Sweetness’ Award in recognition of his outstanding work in the community throughout his lifetime. He also won the New York Sports Emmy Award in the category of Single Event Coverage for Game 5 of the New Jersey Nets vs. Indiana Pacers series during the 2002 NBA Playoffs.

Raftery earned a degree in history from LaSalle and a master’s in education from Seton Hall. He was given an Honorary Doctorate from LaSalle in 2001.