Raftery attended Saint Cecilia High School in Kearny, New Jersey, where he starred in basketball and became the all-time leading scorer in state history with 2,192 points, a record finally surpassed after 35 years. He earned all-state honors in basketball and led his team to the state championship in his senior season. He was also named all-state in baseball and soccer. He has been named, retroactively, Mr. Basketball USA for 1959. Raftery played at La Salle University under coach Donald "Dudey" Moore. During his freshman year he scored a freshman record 370 points, followed by a team leading 17.8 points per game in his sophomore year. As a senior, he co-captained the Explorers to the National Invitation Tournament. Following his senior year at La Salle, Raftery was selected in the 14th round of the 1963 NBA draft by the New York Knicks but never played in the NBA.
Raftery has consecutively served as an analyst and play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports' college basketball coverage for over 33 years. Raftery was also an analyst with ESPN, primarily partnered with Sean McDonough and Jay Bilas and formerly Mike Gorman for Big East games. He has also served as an analyst for CBS Radio/Westwood One's coverage of the NCAA Men's Final Four along with Kevin Kugler and John Thompson. Raftery has also served as an analyst for the New Jersey Nets and was an on-course commentator for PGA Tour Champions Tour events. On June 27, 2013, Raftery signed with Fox Sports to call Big East basketball games on the upstart network Fox Sports 1 with Gus Johnson. During CBS' coverage of March Madness, Raftery had been frequently partnered with Verne Lundquist. His trademark quotes include: "Onions!", "Send It In Big Fella!", "With a Little Kiss!", "A Little Nickel-Dimer!", and "A Little Lingerie On The Deck!". He is especially remembered for "Send It In, Jerome!", his call immediately after Jerome Lane of the University of Pittsburghshattered the backboard with a powerful dunk during a 1988 game. Another phrase he is known for is 'Man-to-man'. He announces it in a very fast and excited voice at the start of all games when the defending team is in that defense. Starting with the 2014–15 collegiate basketball season, CBS/Turner Sports partnered Raftery with Jim Nantz and Grant Hill to make up the primary announcing team for the remainder of the regular season, all the way through the NCAA men's basketball tournament and the Final four. On June 8, 2015, Raftery was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association's Hall of Fame. He also won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Event Analyst in 2015 and 2016.
Other ventures
Aside from his commentating duties, Raftery was also the president of W.J. Raftery Associates, an event/marketing firm.
Personal life
Born William Joseph Raftery in Orange, New Jersey, Bill Raftery grew up in an Irish Catholic family with Irish immigrant parents. His sister is a nun. Raftery earned a B.A. in history from La Salle University in 1963 and an M.A.E. in education from Seton Hall University in 1966. In 2001, he received an honorary doctorate from La Salle. He lives in Florham Park, New Jersey with his wife, Joan, and has four children and four grandchildren. His son, Billy, produced and narrated a documentary entitled, With a Kiss, about his father's life in basketball. The documentary premiered hours before the longtime broadcaster called his second Final Four as a television analyst for CBS Sports.
