Record-Setting Textile Coach Weaves Triumphant Tradition

A handful of games into Herb Magee’s 29th season at Philadelphia Textile, the men’s basketball coach has broken an NCAA record, reached a mile-stone and lost at home for the first time in five years.

The Rams’ season-opening 71-67 defeat of Eastern Pennsylvania was victory No. 600 of Magee’s 29-year career. Game two, a 73-52 rout of Molloy, set a Division II record as Textile’s 80th consecutive home win. But the streak was broken in the third game, a 65-62 overtime loss to West Chester.

“It’s been quite a roller coaster, that’s for sure,” Magee said after his 15th-ranked Rams (4-1) beat New York Tech, 86-81 Friday. “Hopefully, things will get back to normal around here now.”

Normal at Textile means winning - a lot. And the Rams have done it consistently since Magee, the school’s second all-time leading scorer with 2,235 points, took over the coaching reigns at his alma mater in 1967-68. His teams have gone to 19 NCAA tournaments, more than any active Division II coach. Textile won a national title in 1970 and has been to the Sweet 16 five years running.

Since 1988, the Rams are an amazing 122-3 at Althouse Hall, an intimate 1,000-seat gymnasium dubbed “The Hall of Pain.”

Magee, who is 603-214, has coached only two losing teams.