38 Facts About Tom Gola

Thomas Joseph Gola was an American basketball player and politician.

Tom Gola is widely considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all time.

Tom Gola was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.

Tom Gola led his high school team to the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, his college team to the National Invitation Tournament championship and the NCAA championship, and was on the Philadelphia Warriors 1956 championship team, all in the space of six years.

Thomas Joseph Tom Gola was born on January 13,1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the third of seven children born to Ike and Helen Tom Gola.

Tom Gola's father was a Philadelphia policeman of Polish descent who had changed the family's surname from "Galinsky".

Tom Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, part of the Philadelphia Catholic League, where he was second team All-Catholic League in 1949, and first team in 1950 and 1951.

Tom Gola led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in 1950.

Tom Gola won the Markward Award as the Catholic League's top player.

Tom Gola entered La Salle University in 1951, a year after another Philadelphia basketball Hall-of-Famer, and future teammate on the Philadelphia Warriors from 1955 to 1962, Paul Arizin, graduated from Villanova.

Tom Gola was one of the most talented collegiate athletes in Philadelphia sports history.

Tom Gola came to national attention while playing for his hometown La Salle University Explorers men's basketball team.

Tom Gola was recruited for college by the likes of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, North Carolina State coach Everett Case, and the US Military Academy at West Point, but he chose La Salle.

Tom Gola starred as a college freshman and led La Salle to the 1952 NIT championship.

Tom Gola paced the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in 1954 and was named tournament MVP.

Tom Gola again made the All-Tournament Team, which included future hall of fame legend Bill Russell.

Tom Gola was named the AP and UPI College Basketball Player of the Year, and was selected to the All-American team.

Tom Gola's was the first college player to score over 2,000 points and have over 2,000 rebounds.

Tom Gola was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes in 1961 and the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1986.

In 1977, Tom Gola was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.

Tom Gola was in the inaugural class of Atlantic Ten Legends.

Tom Gola teamed with All-Pros Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston to lead the Warriors to an NBA championship in 1956.

Tom Gola gained praise for concentrating on defense, passing and rebounding and allowing the other two to be the chief scorers during these years.

Again sacrificing himself for his team, Tom Gola helped the Warriors consistently reach the NBA playoffs, but they could not beat the star-studded Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Division during his seasons in the early 1960s even with Chamberlain.

Tom Gola played with the New York Knicks from 1962 to 1966.

Tom Gola was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 26,1976.

Tom Gola was called in to pull the program out of trouble after a scandal under prior leadership.

Tom Gola was named Coach of the Year by Philadelphia and New York journalists.

In 1968, Tom Gola was elected to the Pennsylvania State House as a Republican, representing the Northeast Philadelphia-based 170th District.

Tom Gola was defeated in his bid for a second term in 1973 by Democrat William Klenk.

Tom Gola's defeat was part of a broader setback for Republicans in the city that year, as Arlen Specter lost his bid for a third term as District Attorney of Philadelphia.

Tom Gola made his final attempt at elected office in 1983, when he sought the office of Mayor of Philadelphia.

Tom Gola came in last in the three-man Republican primary, behind Congressman Charlie Dougherty and the winner, John Egan, who went on to lose the fall general election to Wilson Goode.

Tom Gola was married to Caroline Norris in June 1955, and they had one son, Thomas Christopher.

At age 70, Tom Gola fell into a coma after a serious fall, in 2003.

Tom Gola died on January 26,2014, thirteen days after his 81st birthday, in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania.

Tom Gola Arena was reconstructed into the John Glaser Arena, the current home of the Explorers.

Tom Gola Plaza, located outside of TruMark Financial Center, features a statue honoring Tom Gola surrounded by a brick walkway with names of doners to the men's basketball team, lights, benches, a small garden, and a historical marker.