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Lefty Driesell remembered: College basketball world reacts to passing of Maryland legend

Derek Peterson

By Derek Peterson

Published:

Lefty Driesell passed away on Saturday at the age of 92. A Hall of Fame college basketball coach who spent more than four decades coaching programs to conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, Driesell’s mark on the game was profound.

“Lefty Driesell was a transcendent figure in college basketball and the man who put Maryland basketball on the map,” Maryland athletic director Damon Evans said in a statement. “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.”

Driesell remains the only coach to win at least 100 games at four different Division I schools. When he retired in 2003, only Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp, and Dean Smith had won more games. In 41 seasons with Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, and then Georgia State, Driesell compiled a 786-394 record.

In 2018, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Additionally, Driesell was a member of the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the Southern Conference Hall of Fame, and the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame. He was awarded the NCAA Award of Valor for helping save lives from a structure fire in 1973. And, in 2010, the Lefty Driesell Award for the best defensive player in NCAA Division I basketball was created.

Following the news of his passing, there was an outpouring of support on social media from all levels of the sport.

 

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.