John Andariese to Receive Johnny Bach Award at Fordham Basketball Tip-Off Dinner on Monday Night, October 30 at The Water Club in New York City
Fordham Posthumously Honors Beloved Knicks Hall of Fame Analyst, Distinguished Fordham Alumnus
New York, October 17 — Fordham University Athletics will celebrate the life of beloved New York Knicks analyst and distinguished alumnus John Andariese when he posthumously receives the “Johnny Bach Award” on Monday night, October 30 at the 2017 Fordham Basketball Tip-Off Dinner at The Water Club (500 East 30th Street) in New York City.
John’s wife Maureen, and daughters Amy, Julie, and Emily, will be joined by his broadcast partner for many years, Marv Albert, in accepting the award, which pays homage to the illustrious Fordham player and coach who later went on to a distinguished career in the N.B.A. Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the National Basketball Association and a close friend of Andariese, will be a special guest speaker reflecting on Andariese’s career. Bach’s widow, Mary, will be in attendance for the ceremony.
The 2017 Men’s Basketball Tip-off Dinner will also celebrate the Frank McLaughlin Family Basketball Court Project, which will be dedicated next year, and offer previews of the men’s and women’s basketball seasons from head coaches Jeff Neubauer and Stephanie Gaitley.
CBS Sports Radio host Andrew Bogusch, a Fordham and WFUV Radio alumnus, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Ed Kull, Senior Associate Athletic Director, at ekull@fordham.edu or 917-751-9960.Visit forever.fordham.edu/tipoff for more information.
Knicks Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing was the inaugural recipient of the Johnny Bach Award in 2012. Fordham alumnus and accomplished basketball coach and commentator P.J. Carlesimo (2013), Knicks World Champion Phil Jackson (2014), and former N.B.A coach Doug Collins (2015), were also honored with the Bach Award.
Andariese starred at Fordham under Bach’s tutelage from 1956 to 1960, appearing in two National Invitational Tournaments as an All-City player, and serving as team captain in his senior season at Rose Hill. The two remained close friends for six decades.
Andariese was the thread who connected generations of New York Knicks fans as radio and television analyst. Dubbed “Johnny Hoops” because of his keen knowledge and love of basketball, Andariese was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 19, 1938. He attended St. Michael’s Diocesan High School, now known as Xaverian High School, before starring at Fordham. St. Michael’s had also produced fellow Rams’ basketball great Ed Conlon a year earlier.
Andariese received the Curt Gowdy Award and enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 for his basketball commentary. He was inducted into the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978. Andariese is also enshrined in the St. Michael’s Diocesan High School Hall of Fame, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Brooklyn Basketball Hall of Fame.
Andariese began a career as color analyst on Knicks broadcasts that spanned four decades during the 1972-1973 season on radio, teaming with Marv Albert, who became a longtime partner. He returned for the 1976-1977 season, and again from 1982–1986. Andariese moved to television from 1986-1998, serving as analyst on MSG Network television broadcasts. Andariese returned to radio in 1999 when he was reunited with Albert, and continued through the 2012 campaign before retiring. Along with Albert, Andariese teamed with several play-by-play broadcasters including Mike Breen, Gus Johnson, Spero Dedes and Mike Crispino.
Andariese also was an NBA analyst on Turner Sports and ESPN, and college basketball analyst for NBC Sports. He hosted NBA Legends with Johnny Hoops on NBA TV. He was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of TVi Media, the Manhattan-based advertising sales company.
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