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Former USF Basketball Coach Phil Vukicevich Passes
Feb. 17, 2010
(San Francisco) - Former USF basketball star and head coach Phil Vukicevich passed away Tuesday, February 16 in Petaluma after a long battle with cancer. He was 79.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, February 28 at the Hanna Boy's Center at 1700 Arnold Drive in Sonoma. The service will begin at 2:00 PM.
Vukicevich spent more than a decade on the coaching staff of the USF basketball program during one of its most successful eras, including three-plus seasons as the head coach of the Dons. An innovator with a shuffle offense and a pressure man-to-man defense, he played a key role in sustaining San Francisco as one of the top college basketball powers on the west coast.
USF Hall-of-Famer Dennis Black played for Vukicevich on the freshman team and later when he took over as head coach.
"Phil was one with high ideals and believed in his ballplayers succeeding," Black said. "He had tremendous vision for recognizing the talents of all his ballplayers and bringing all of his individual ballplayers into a team. He always put education first and ensured that everyone followed the Jesuit philosophy. Phil earned the title of coach."
In just his second season on the Hilltop, Vukicevich coached the greatest freshman team in school history in 1962-63 when he guided a team featuring three future USF Hall-of-Famers - Joe Ellis, Russ Gumina and Erwin Mueller, two of them future NBA stars (Ellis and Mueller) - to a 21-1 record. In six seasons as the top assistant under legendary head coach Peter Peletta, the Dons posted an overall record of 115-51 with three consecutive West Coast Athletic Conference Championships, four postseason berths and USF was ranked No. 3 in the nation in 1965.
USF Hall-of-Famer Jim Brovelli played for Vukicevich and later served as freshman coach under his mentor.
"Phil was one of the great old coaches. He was a great teacher and motivator. He was a tremendous guy and will be truly missed," Brovelli said.
After his coaching career, Vukicevich spent nearly 25 years working for Converse and later adidas and after leaving the shoe giant, entered the wine industry working for Kenwood Winery and Valley of the Moon.
Before his arrival on the Hilltop, Vukicevich played for the Olympic Club AAU team which was national runner-up in 1957.
During two seasons as a varsity standout at USF, Vukicevich developed a reputation as a fiery competitor with outstanding defensive acumen. A two-year team captain, Vukicevich was a two-time All-Northern California pick and All-California Basketball Association selection for the Dons. Vukicevich ranked second on the Green and Gold in scoring as a junior at 10.5 points per game in 1951-52 under head coach Phil Woolpert.
As a senior, Vukicevich earned Look Magazine District VIII All-America honors after leading the Dons in scoring at 12.9 points per game despite the presence of a sophomore class featuring future Naismith Hall-of-Famer K.C. Jones. USF posted a runner-up finish in the CBA at 14-7, 8-4 in league contests.
A highly decorated prep performer at Lincoln High School, Vukicevich led a team laden with eight future college starters to a 32-3 record in 1948 and a finals berth in the Tournament of Champions.
Vukicevich is survived by a son, Matthew, a daughter, Lisa and his wife Edie.
UPDATED SERVICE INFORMATION: A memorial service honoring the life of Phil Vukicevich will be held Sunday, February 28 at the Hanna Boy's Center at 1700 Arnold Drive in Sonoma. The service will start at 2:00 PM.
