Richard Frederick "Digger" Phelps was born on July 4,1941 and is an American former college basketball coach, most notably of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1971 to 1991.
12 Facts About Digger Phelps
2.
Digger Phelps got the nickname "Digger" from his father, who was a mortician in Beacon, New York.
3.
Digger Phelps's family ran a funeral home business in the city.
4.
In May 1971 at age 29, Digger Phelps was named head coach at the University of Notre Dame.
5.
Digger Phelps began his broadcasting career when he served as a commentator for ABC Sports' basketball coverage at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
6.
Digger Phelps joined ESPN the next season and worked for them until 2014 as a college basketball studio and game analyst.
7.
Digger Phelps played the part of Bacchus, the God of Wine, in two performances in April 2006.
8.
In 2017, Digger Phelps wrote the book "Father Ted Hesburgh: He Coached Me," co-written with Tim Bourret.
9.
Digger Phelps is a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Rider College.
10.
Digger Phelps was instrumental in the restoration of various programs at John McDonogh High School in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina.
11.
Digger Phelps's gifts helped to restore the sports program and helped to launch a four-year Culinary Academy in partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the Recovery School District on December 15,2010.
12.
Digger Phelps Court is a street in Beacon, New York.