Edward S. Steitz (November 7, 1920 – May 21, 1990) was an American basketball coach and official, working for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He was considered the leading worldwide authority on amateur basketball rules.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Steitz was a lived in Beacon, New York. He was a graduate of Cornell University before earning master's and doctoral degrees at Springfield College. After receiving his PhD, he started teaching at Springield in 1948.[1]
Steitz became men's basketball coach at Springfield College from 1956 to 1966 and then became director of athletics from 1966 to 1990.
He worked for the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee as a secretary, editor and national interpreter from 1965 to 1990. He was involved in most of college basketball's major changes over the years, most notably the advent of the 45-second shot clock in 1986 and the introduction of the 3-point field goal in 1987.[1][2] He was also a longtime member of the NCAA executive committee.
In 1974 he founded and served as a president for Amateur Basketball Association of the United States of America (ABAUSA), now USA Basketball. He was a member of the Technical Commission of FIBA. He was also a member of the United States Olympic Committee's executive committee.
He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. In 2007, he was enshrined as a contributor in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
USA Basketball's Edward S. Steitz Award was created posthumously in 1991 to recognize an individual for her or his valuable contributions to international basketball.[3]
