National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Charles Grice “Lefty” Driesell, died on Saturday morning. He was 92.
Driesell coached Division I basketball for 41 seasons, making stops with Maryland, Davidson, James Madison and Georgia State. He won 786 games throughout his career, and led each of his four teams to at least 100 wins.
Maryland announced his passing with a post on X.
Maryland Athletics mourns the passing of Hall of Fame head coach Lefty Driesell.
Rest in Peace, Coach. https://t.co/97klFtuxNC
— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) February 17, 2024
“Lefty Driesell was a transcendent figure in college basketball and the man who put Maryland basketball on the map,” said Damon Evans, the Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics. “A Hall of Famer, Lefty was an innovator, a man who was ahead of his time from his coaching on the court to his marketing off the court. From starting Midnight Madness to nationally-televised games with sold out Cole Field House crowds, Lefty did it all. He led Maryland to the NIT Championship, eight NCAA Tournaments, multiple ACC Championships and a consistent Top-10 ranking during his tenure, producing tons of NBA players. We are saddened to hear of his passing and send our condolences to his entire family and community of friends. His memory will be forever etched in Maryland basketball history.
“It is with great sadness that we received this news today and our condolences go out to his family,” said Maryland men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard. “Words cannot express all that Coach Driesell embodied and the impact he made on the game. Most importantly, however, was his commitment to his players and the depth of relationships he made with all those around him. Maryland and the college basketball world lost one of its monumental figures today.”
At the time of his retirement in 2003, only Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith had won more games than Driesell. He also took all four of his teams to the NCAA Tournament, leading Maryland and Davidson to the Elite Eight on two separations occasions each.
Driesell is widely credited for turning Maryland into the college basketball powerhouse it is known as today.
In 2018 at the age of 82, Driesell was finally enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 11 years after being indicted into the college basketball Hall of Fame. It was an honor many, including former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, felt was overdue.
“Lefty should have been in years ago,” Krzyzewski said at the time, via the Washington Post. “His contributions to the game go way beyond wins and losses, and he won a lot. It’s an honor he’s deserved for a long time.”
Maryland asks that anyone who would like to honor Driesell do so by donating to the Charles “Lefty” Driesell Endowed Scholarship fund.
