Jimmy Lynam, a Philadelphia native and West Catholic High School standout, built a lifelong career in basketball as a player, coach, and broadcaster. He led West Catholic to a Catholic League championship in 1959 before starring at Saint Joseph’s University, where he was a three-year starter and helped guide the Hawks to the Final Four in the 1961 NCAA Tournament. In 1963, he was named Big 5 Co-MVP, sharing the Robert V. Geasey Trophy with Wali Jones. Lynam went on to a successful coaching career at both the collegiate and professional levels, including head coaching stints at Fairfield, American, and Saint Joseph’s, where he led the Hawks to an Elite Eight appearance in 1981 with a memorable run that included an upset over top-ranked DePaul.
He later spent time in the NBA as both an assistant and head coach, earning NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1990. Lynam also held front office roles with the 76ers and Timberwolves before transitioning into broadcasting, where he has been a longtime pregame and postgame analyst for the Sixers. His No. 4 jersey is retired at Saint Joseph’s, and he has been inducted into both the Big Five Hall of Fame and the Saint Joseph’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
