James Strong

Biographical information

RolesCoach
SexMale
Full nameJames Larry•Strong
Used nameJames•Strong
Born29 November 1918 in Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
Died21 November 2007 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland (NED)
NOC Switzerland
Nationality United States

Biography

Jimmy Strong was an American basketball and baseball player who later made his name as a coach in those sports in Europe. In the late 1940s he began playing basketball in Bologna, Italy, and competed for Libertas Bologna in baseball, winning the 1948 Italian Championship. He began coaching in the early 1950s and led the Swiss national basketball team in 1951-52, including at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He later was the Italian national baseball coach, leading them at the 1957 and 1958 European Championships.

Strong started the first-ever baseball coaches’ course in Italy in 1957. He left Italy in the 1970s for the Netherlands, where he coached basketball, softball, baseball, and boxing.

Coaching results

Games Sport (Discipline) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal Nationality As
1952 Summer Olympics Basketball (Basketball) SUI USA James Strong
Basketball, Men (Olympic) Switzerland =20