Jeannette, "Buddy" (Harry E.)
Basketball
b. Sept. 15, 1917, New Kensington, PA
d. March 11, 1998
After graduating from Washington and Jefferson College in 1938, Jeannette was paid $150 a month to play for a professional team that was sometimes the Warren, PA, Penns of the National Basketball League and sometimes the Elmira, NY, Indians of the New York-Penn League.
In 1939, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Jeannette joined the Detroit Eagles of the NBL. When they won the 1941 world basketball championship in Chicago, he was named the tournament's most valuable player. Jeannette was also the NBL's most valuable player for the 1942-43 season, when he played for the Sheboygan Redskins.
He then went to the Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons, who won two straight NBL titles and the 1945 world championship. Jeannette was the league's MVP and the world championship tournament MVP in 1945.
As player-coach, Jeannette led the Baltimore Bullets of the American Basketball League to a 31-3 record and the league championship in 1946-47. The Bullets entered the new Basketball Association of America the following season and won that league's first title. Jeannette served as player-coach through 1949-50, his last season as a player. He was replaced as coach during the following season.
From 1952-53 through 1955-56, Jeannette coached Georgetown University to a 49-49 record. After three years out of basketball, he became coach of the Baltimore franchise in the Eastern Basketball League from 1959-60 through 1960-61. He was named general manager and coach of the NBA's Baltimore Bullets in 1964, but was replaced during the 1965-66 season. He also coached the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association in 1969-70.
During his 10 professional seasons, Jeannette scored 2,317 points in 300 games, a 7.7 average. He added 315 points in 41 playoff games.