Fred Joseph Scolari was born in San Ramon, CA on March 1, 1922 and attended Galileo High School. At 5' 10", he played basketball in high school and at USF as a point guard from 1942 to 1946. After college, he joined the Washington Capitols, and then the Syracuse Nationals, the Baltimore Bullets, Fort Wayne Pistons, and Boston Celtics, for a nine year professional career. 

Scolari became known for his unorthodox, yet effective, shooting style, in which he released the ball from his hip. He led the BAA in free-throw percentage for the 1946 to 1947. He was also a well-regarded defender, and was voted to the All-BAA Second Team in 1947 and 1948.

After his basketball career ended, he became a successful insurance salesman. He later served as director of the Salesian Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco. In 1998, he was elected to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (Wikipedia).