U. Moreland's Cecil Mosenson, Coach Of Wilt Chamberlain, Dies

UPPER MORELAND, PA — Cecil Mosenson, the legendary Upper Moreland High School basketball coach who once coached one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Wilt Chamberlain, has died. He was 90.

Mosenson was an early figure in what has become the storied basketball lore of Montgomery County and Philadelphia, a history that runs from Mosenson and Chamberlain to Earl "The Pearl" Monroe and all the way to Kobe Bryant.

Mosenson spent 15 years as the coach at Upper Moreland, along with several other area schools over the years. He was a vocal leader in the worlds of education and athletics, and wrote even wrote a book about his experiences. And on top of all that, he served as mentor and coach to Chamberlain, the Hall of Famer often considered to be the greatest to ever live, at Overbook High School in Philadelphia.

A standout player himself at Overbrook and then Temple University, Mosenson played professional basketball after college with the Washington Generals, before joining the Eastern Professional Basketball League, according to this biography in the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2014.

He recounted memories, lessons, championships, and his friendship with Chamberlain in a celebrated memoir published in 2008, "It All Began with Wilt." Mosenson was just 22 when he began his tenure at Overbrook and met Chamberlain.

In addition to coaching Upper Moreland and Overbook, Mosenson also served turns coaching at William Tennent High School and on the United States 14-16 year-old team in the European Games in Scotland in 1990. He also became principal at Tredyffrin-Easttown Junior High School. He wrote a novel about the latter experience: "Mr. Principal, Your Activity Period Sucks!"

Mosenson's character was attested to by the many who loved him and cared for him, right down to his doctors.

"I had the honor this week to care for Coach Cecil Mosenson, Wilt Chamberlain’s first coach and lifelong mentor and friend," Raymond Singer, a cardiothoracic surgeon, shared on his blog last summer. "Cecil was an acclaimed basketball coach and author. He made a difference in the lives of countless Philly kids — kids who still thank him to this day for the impact that he had on them, in sports and in life. A great man with a great heart!"

Donations in memory of Mosenson can be made to the Jeffrey Mosenson Memorial Fund, which aims to provide funding for local firemen, policemen, EMTs, and other first responders. Send donations to 7 Castle Drive, Woodbury, New York, 11797.