Men's Basketball 2/20/2007 12:00:00 AM Canisius College Athletics

Canisius College Basketball Legend Joe Niland Dies

Canisius College men's basketball player, head coach and Sports Hall of Famer Joe Niland died Sunday afternoon at the age of 89 in Buffalo.

Niland, who was inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1964, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and named to the Canisius Men's Basketball All-Century Team in 2004, played for Canisius from 1939-42 and coached the Golden Griffins from 1947-53.

“Joe's passing is a great loss, and we will miss him,” said Director of Athletics Bill Maher. “He was a great ambassador for Canisius College, and his impact, which began in the 1930s, continues to present day. Joe held a special place in his heart for Canisius, and Canisius certainly feels the same about him.”

A three-year captain, Niland starred in basketball at Canisius and participated in the 1942 All-American College All-Star Game in Chicago. After serving with General Patton's armored division in Germany from 1943-1945, Niland returned to Canisius and fashioned a coaching career that helped put the Golden Griffin program on the national basketball map.

The post-war years were glory days at Canisius, and Buffalo was becoming an attraction for major college teams heading east to Madison Square Garden. Canisius regularly played and defeated national powers such as Duke, Arkansas, Utah, Texas, Wyoming, Notre Dame and St. John's. In 1950-51, Canisius topped a CCNY team that became the last to win the NCAA and NIT tournaments in the same year. During this period, Canisius ranked in the top-25 on many occasions.

“Joe was one of the most unforgettable people you have ever met and one of the most recognizable people in Canisius history,” said Dr. Daniel P. Starr, Canisius professor emeritus of history and director of athletics from 1974-2000. “He built one of the most successful athletic programs the school has ever had at a time when Canisius played the most difficult schedules.”

Niland, who served as a mentor to nephew and current West Virginia coach John Beilein, posted a 76-61 record in five seasons at Canisius and coached many great players during his tenure, including Leroy Chollet, Hank O'Keeffe, Herm Hedderick and Bob MacKinnon. He recruited several stars that would carry the Griffs' program forward in the 1950s, including Johnny McCarthy and Hank Nowak, who led Canisius to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1955-57.

Niland served as a scout for the Buffalo Braves franchise in 1970-72, and was instrumental in securing the services of Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith, two keys to the team's later successes. He also scouted for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1960s, and spent 10 memorable seasons as an aide to Buffalo Bills General Manager Bill Polian.

He is the beloved husband of Lois (Higgins); dear father of Maggie (Robert) Glass, Joseph P. Jr. (Ellen Bonin), Martha (Paul) Lamparelli, Sara (James) McNamee, David (Debra Michalski), Maria and Bridget (Brian) Gwitt; proud grandfather of 18; brother of Ina (Jerome) O'Hanlon, J. Michael (Jean) and the late Eugenia Shinskey Higgins, Mary Conley, William, Albertine Mosher, Josephine Beilin, Thomas, Sr. Frances SSMN and Anne Murphy; brother-in-law of Arthur, Ruth, Eileen, Margaret, Patrick, the late Jean Higgins and Carol Kautz; beloved uncle to 45 nieces and nephews.

Friends may call Tuesday and Wednesday 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the Dengler & Roberts Funeral Home, 8630 Transit Rd., E. Amherst (one mile north of Maple, just past Klein). Friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial from St. Gregory the Great R.C. Church, Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vincent dePaul Society or Catholic Charities of Western New York. Online tributes may be sent to www.mem.com.

(Information from the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame was used in this article)

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