Buddy Gardler's 39-Year Coaching Career
Harrison "Buddy" Gardler coached basketball at Bishop Kenrick (1969-75) and Cardinal O'Hara (1977-2008) for 39 total seasons, setting the record for most overall wins by a Catholic League coach (560). A triumph in 1986 was particularly special.
The Diamond-and-One
In a memorable game, Buddy Gardler officially forfeited all chances to win any organization's Father-of-the-Year award. During a crucial basketball game, Gardler spent the second half running a diamond-and-one defense -- against his own son. Chris Gardler, a 5-8, 140-pound guard, was the target. Buddy Gardler is not the kind of father who ordinarily would follow such a strategy, but the team needed a South playoff berth, and the Gardlers say they are more like brothers than father and son.
In the O'Hara locker room after the game, Buddy Gardler was darn near reveling in the tactical decision. Chris Gardler rose above any awkwardness about his father coaching against him, and the story became one of the most cherished in Catholic League basketball lore.
Record-Setting Career
Growing up playing basketball and spending summers at a swim club close to their Ridley Park home, the Gardler family was steeped in basketball. Buddy's 560 career victories set the all-time record for a Catholic League coach, a testament to his longevity and consistency across four decades.