Marquette 1977 Championship Staff: A Half-Century Later
Half a century after the Golden Eagles won the national title, the surviving members of the coaching, medical, and support teams have moved on to diverse careers in sports, business, and healthcare.
By Harvey Wilson ·
Marquette University is marking the 50th anniversary of its 1977 NCAA men's basketball championship by examining the current status of the personnel who supported the roster. The university's publication has detailed the trajectories of the coaches, managers, and medical staff who guided the team to the title. Most of these individuals have passed away or moved on to other professions since that season.
Head coach Al McGuire retired from coaching mid-season, using the championship game as his final appearance after 13 years leading the program. He transitioned into a 23-year broadcasting career and lived in Brookfield, Wisconsin, until his death in 2001. Assistant coach Hank Raymonds, who joined the staff in 1961, succeeded McGuire as head coach. In six seasons, his teams averaged 21 wins per year and secured five NCAA Tournament bids and one NIT appearance. Raymonds also served as athletic director from 1977 to 1987 and died in Wauwatosa in 2010.
Rick Majerus began as an assistant while an undergraduate and took over as head coach in 1983. He led Marquette for three seasons before moving to the Milwaukee Bucks and then to college jobs at Ball State, the University of Utah, and St. Louis University. His tenure at Utah included a run to the 1998 Final Four. Majerus also worked as an ESPN broadcaster for three seasons before retiring from St. Louis University in 2012, where he died shortly after.
Kevin Byrne, a 1971 graduate, served as the sports information director during the 1977 season. He is credited with organizing the famous team photograph featuring a 1934 Packard. Byrne left the university later that year to join the St. Louis Cardinals as a public relations director at age 26, a record for the youngest in league history. He later joined the Cleveland Browns in 1981 and stayed with the franchise through its move to Baltimore, retiring in 2020. The Pro Football Hall of Fame awarded him an Award of Excellence in 2023, and the Ravens' press box bears his name.
Several student managers from the 1977 team have established careers in business. Greg Stack, a senior manager that year, earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota and now serves as senior vice president at Speech-Soft Solutions in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Tom Hayden graduated in 1979 and works as an account manager for Liberty Banc Mortgage in Brookfield. Dave Du Chateau, also a 1979 graduate, is a partner at the engineering firm Ring & Du Chateau and lives in Brookfield.
The medical staff included Bob Weingart, who served as head athletic trainer for 38 years. He was a member of the 'M' Club Hall of Fame and trained the USA track team at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Weingart died in 2012 while living in Greendale, Wisconsin. Dr. Charles Eichenberger worked as the team physician on a volunteer basis for over 40 years. A 1936 graduate and 1940 medical school alumnus, he was inducted into the 'M' Club Hall of Fame in 1988.
Mark Paget, a student trainer in 1977, graduated in 1979 with a degree in speech. He spent 20 years as executive director of the Wisconsin Dental Association starting in 2006. He now resides in Hartland, Wisconsin, and works as a business development ambassador for Edge Advisors.
