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United States Digger Phelps, renowned for his impactful career as a college basketball coach and analyst, transitioned from leading teams to providing insightful commentary for national audiences.
Phelps's daughter, Karen Phelps, launched Golden Touch, an NIL website and app for Notre Dame and Saint Mary's student-athletes. Phelps is supportive of the initiative to create marketing opportunities for players.
Karen Phelps also launched Golden Minds, an online resource designed to address mental health stigma in sports. Digger Phelps's family is directly involved in this initiative, with Karen serving as Founder & Director.
Richard Frederick “Digger” Phelps, born on July 4, 1941, in Beacon, New York, began his coaching journey. Raised in a family funeral home business, he acquired his well-known nickname “Digger” from friends early in life. Phelps started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Rider College in 1963, his alma mater. This was followed by a stint at St. Gabriel’s High School in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and his first full assistant coaching role at the University of Pennsylvania in 1966. His initial head coaching appointment came in 1970 at Fordham University, where he quickly made his mark. In the 1970–71 season, he guided the Fordham Rams to an impressive 24–2 record and a No. 9 national ranking. Fordham earned a berth in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
Phelps made a significant move in May 1971, at the age of 29, when he became the head coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Over his 20 seasons (1971–1991) at Notre Dame, his teams achieved a record of 393–197 (.666), marking 14 seasons with 20 or more wins. A highlight of his tenure was leading Notre Dame to its sole Final Four appearance in 1978. He is also recognized for ending UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak in 1974 with a 71-70 upset victory. Phelps holds the NCAA record for most upsets over a No. 1 ranked team, with a total of seven such victories, shared with Gary Williams.
Following his coaching career, Phelps transitioned into broadcasting, serving as a commentator for ABC Sports’ basketball coverage at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He later joined CBS for their NCAA tournament coverage in 1992. In 1993, he became a college basketball studio and game analyst for ESPN, a role he maintained for 20 years until his departure in 2014. During his time at ESPN, he provided analysis on programs like College GameDay. Phelps has also been involved in humanitarian efforts, notably assisting in the restoration of programs at John McDonogh High School in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
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