DEATHS : NCAA Rules Expert Steitz Dies
World-renowned basketball rules authority Edward S. Steitz, who brought the three-point shot to the international and college game, has died at age 69.
Steitz, director of athletics-emeritus at Springfield College, died this morning at his home in East Longmeadow, according to college spokesman Ken Cerino. The cause of death was not immediately revealed. Steitz was hospitalized earlier in the year for two weeks after a severe angina attack.
He had taught at Springfield College since 1948 and was director of athletics for 33 years, retiring last July.
As editor for the NCAA rules committee since 1968 and assistant editor before then, Steitz was responsible for most of basketball’s major changes in the last 25 years, including the time clock, the elimination of the center jump and the return of the dunk. Steitz said in a March interview that the 3-point shot was the most important rules change since the elimination of the center jump 53 years ago.
“It’s accomplished everything the Rules Committee wanted,” said Steitz “The dunk is no longer basketball’s home run, the 3-point shot is.”
In 1983, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.
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