“With a kiss!”, a signature phrase heard during almost every basketball telecast, is Bill Raftery’s patented line for a basketball bank shot.

For the last 30 years, the excitable announcer has covered basketball as an analyst on television and radio for CBS, ESPN, and CBS Radio.  The NCAA Final Four, the Big East Championship, the Big Ten Championship, the ACC Championship, the SEC Championship and New Jersey Nets telecasts are just a few of the premier events that Raftery has had the privilege of calling during his career.  Raftery brings his playing and coaching experience to every telecast, offering keen analysis and opinion during the games.

Raftery’s began his broadcasting career in 1982 with ESPN, where he serves as a game analyst for college basketball.  During that same year, Bill also distinguished himself as an analyst on CBS’s college basketball coverage.  He has served as a game analyst for Westwood One/CBS Radio’s coverage of the NCAA Men’s Final Four since 1991.

From 1970-1981, Raftery served as head basketball coach at Seton Hall University, where he revitalized the program and led the Pirates to seven straight winning seasons and a record of 154-141.  Raftery led the team to four ECAC post-season tournaments and two National Invitational Tournament appearances.  His 154 wins as a coach place him fourth on the all-time list at Seton Hall behind Honey Russell, P.J. Carlesimo and Frank Hill. From 1979-1981, he also served as President of the Big East Coaches Association.  Prior to coaching at SHU, Raftery spent five years coaching at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey.  He led the Jersey Devils to a 63-48 record from 1963-68. In his final year at FDU, he led the team to an 18-6 record and earned Coach of the Year honors from the New Jersey Basketball Writers Association.

A standout on the court as well, Raftery played three seasons at LaSalle University under legendary coach Donald “Dudley” Moore.  During the 1959-1960 season, he set a freshman scoring mark with 370 points.  The next year, he led the varsity team with 17.8 points per game and in his senior year, he co-captained the Explorers to the National Invitational Tournament. Following his senior year at LaSalle, he was drafted by the New York Knicks.

Bill lives with his wife Joan in Florham Park, NJ. They have four children. In his spare time he enjoys playing golf.