Hall of Fame Series: Men’s Basketball’s Jake Stahl, BSBA ’53

Hall of Fame Series: Men’s Basketball’s Jake Stahl, BSBA ’53
Posted: Oct 08, 2024

BOSTON – Over the next few weeks, GoSuffolkRams.com will look at the student-athletes, coach and team to be inducted into the Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame that has its next induction ceremony this October. The seventh installment features a player-coach for the Suffolk men’s basketball program, Jake Stahl, BSBA ’53.  

A sharp shooter from Lynn, Massachusetts, Stahl was a four-year letterwinner for Suffolk men’s basketball from 1949-53.  

He laced up his sneakers for the blue-and-gold in a different era of collegiate basketball -- schedules did not surpass 20 games, there was no shot clock or a three-point line, but still, his offensive output was first of its kind. Throughout the 1950s, Stahl wrote and rewrote the Rams offensive records by averaging nearly 20 points per game. 

The best things for Stahl was the arrival of Jack Reznick his junior season. While opponents could shut down either Stahl or Resnick with double and even triple coverage, there was little chance that both of Suffolk’s stars could be stopped. Behind the power pair, the Rams rolled to a 70 percent winning percentage.  

In his final season in a Rams’ uniform in 1952-53, Stahl took on an additional role. When legendary Suffolk Hall of Famer coach and Director of Athletics Charles Law was diagnosed with cancer, Stahl coached the team on top of his playing role. 

Upon graduation, the four-year letterwinner and two-year captain left the program as the then-all-time leading scorer before being upstaged by Reznick.  

“I am so excited to be inducted into the Suffolk Hall of Fame,” Stahl said. “Playing for Suffolk was such a special time in my life.”

Stahl went on to start the company Boston Trader’s alongside his friend Arnold Kline, which was a world leader in casual men’s clothing for decades. 

Now 93 years old, Jack is currently retired. He has been married to his wife Lynn for over 60 years. They have two daughters, Susan and Elizabeth, and a son David Stahl. 

Stahl is one of two men’s basketball players to be enshrined into the Suffolk Hall of Fame this year alongside Winston Daly, BSBA’02. They are the 15th and 16th men’s basketball players, including multi-sport athletes to be inducted overall. 

The 2024 Suffolk University Hall of Fame Class features four men, three women and one team representing six different athletic programs.

On October 18, the Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame, which held its first induction ceremony in 2007, will increase in size to 79 members broken down by 59 student-athletes, five head coaches, 11 teams and four special honorees. 

The 2024 Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Friday, Oct. 18 at Suffolk University’s Sargent Hall’s Keches Room, 120 Tremont Street, Boston, at 6:00 p.m. Tickets to the event can be purchased here. 

THE SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
The Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame will recognize the outstanding achievements of former athletes, coaches and others who have played a most significant role in the history of athletics at our University.  

For a more insider’s look at the 2024 Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame Class be on the lookout for the Hall of Fame series, which will be published on GoSuffolkRams.com leading up to the event. Specific publication dates on inductees are below: