Written by DAVID GINSBURG, Associated Press Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Lefty Driesell, the Hall of Fame coach whose folksy drawl belied a fiery on-court demeanor that put Maryland on the college basketball map and enabled him to rebuild several struggling programs, died Saturday. He was 92.

The passing of Driesell was announced by Maryland. He passed away at his residence in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Driesell achieved 786 wins throughout five different decades and was the initial coach to reach over 100 victories at four universities in NCAA Division I. He began his career at Davidson in 1960 and then led Maryland to national recognition from 1969-1986, until the tragic passing of All-American player Len Bias due to cocaine use.

After that, Driesell achieved five conference championships during his nine-year tenure at James Madison and had a successful stint at Georgia State from 1997 to 2003.

In 2018, Mike Krzyzewski, former coach of Duke, acknowledged that Lefty Driesell’s impact on the game of basketball exceeded just his win-loss record. Despite this, Driesell’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was long overdue and a well-deserved honor.

On October 15, 1971, Driesell introduced the college basketball tradition of Midnight Madness. In accordance with NCAA regulations, at three minutes past midnight on the first day of practice, Driesell had his players complete a mandatory one-mile run on the track located within the Maryland football stadium.

The headlights of several cars parked at the edge of the stadium provided the lighting. Driesell’s urging and approximately 800 students who gathered to witness the unadvertised occasion served as motivation.

“I have resorted to many unconventional methods to gain attention, but that was not one of them,” Driesell stated in retrospect. “I simply wanted to start practice early. I had no clue it would create such a big impact.”

Driesell played a role in breaking racial boundaries in college sports. He appointed George Raveling, the first Black coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as his assistant in 1969. Driesell’s pursuit of Charlie Scott to join Davidson’s team ultimately led to Scott becoming the first African American scholarship athlete at North Carolina and later, a successful NBA player.

Scott originally made a commitment to Davidson, but ultimately decided on UNC. He recognized Driesell’s role in this decision.

Charlie Scott, a member of the 2018 Hall of Fame class alongside Lefty Driesell, believes that without Driesell’s influence, he would not have attended North Carolina. Scott also acknowledges that his initial decision to attend Davidson ultimately led to other schools becoming interested in recruiting him.

Driesell’s recruitment efforts were not influenced by race when seeking out the top players.

Len Elmore, a former player for Driesell at the University of Maryland from 1971-74, spoke highly of his contributions in marketing the game and providing opportunities for African American players and coaches like himself. Elmore described Driesell as a trailblazer and innovator.

Upon entering the Maryland court, Driesell would be greeted by the sound of “Hail to the Chief” and he would raise both of his arms, making a victory sign with two fingers on each hand, while receiving a standing ovation. On the sidelines, he would occasionally stomp his foot in frustration over a call, and in moments of high intensity, he would remove his sports jacket and throw it to the ground, stomping on it.

However, Driesell was not known for being loud or aggressive off the court. Instead, he had a talent for winning over the parents of potential players with a comforting and down-to-earth manner that reflected his Southern background.

Brad Davis, who played guard for Maryland from 1974-77 before moving on to the NBA, described him as having a strong presence, being skilled at recruiting, and being instrumental in elevating Maryland basketball’s reputation.

In 2007, Driesell was honored with induction into the College Basketball Hall of Fame. However, it took four attempts and until three months after his 86th birthday for him to be voted in with the required 75%. Many believed that his delay in being recognized was due to his resignation from Maryland in 1986 after the cocaine overdose of Bias, who had been drafted by the Boston Celtics.

Maryland had to pay Driesell for the rest of his 10-year contract because it could find no wrongdoing on his part. But his departure meant Driesell never got to fulfill the declaration he made upon taking over in College Park — he would make Maryland the “UCLA of the East.”

During Driesell’s tenure, the University of Maryland’s basketball team did not achieve the same level of success as John Wooden’s team at UCLA. While the Terps were unable to make it to the Final Four in the 17 years that Driesell was their coach, they did win or tie for five ACC regular season championships and also won the league tournament in 1984, which was Driesell’s fifth time reaching the final.

Reflecting on his claim that his team was the “UCLA of the East,” Driesell joked, “I must have been a bit tipsy when I said that. But we were a strong team and ended up achieving great success. We had a talented roster.”

Prior to Driesell’s arrival at the University of Maryland, the basketball team was consistently at the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and struggled to attract fans to their home court, Cole Field House. However, in Driesell’s first season, the team achieved a record of 13-13 and on January 9, 1971, they made a statement with a thrilling 31-30 overtime victory against the second-ranked team in the nation, South Carolina. This was a significant win as South Carolina had previously defeated Maryland by a large margin of 96-70 just three weeks prior. Notably, this game took place before the implementation of the shot clock, so Driesell instructed his players to play at a slower pace to counter South Carolina’s high-scoring offense.

Unfortunately, Driesell’s top-performing team did not get the chance to compete in the postseason. During the 1974 ACC championship, the highly-ranked Terrapins were defeated by No. 1 North Carolina State in overtime with a score of 103-100. This was at a time when only the conference champion could move on to the NCAA Tournament.

One week later, a team from Maryland, with future NBA players Tom McMillen, John Lucas, and Elmore, declined an invitation to the NIT, which they had previously won. Instead, N.C. State went on to claim the 1974 NCAA championship, breaking UCLA’s seven-year reign as national champions.

Krzyzewski stated that “Lefty’s team that year” was potentially on par with 20 national champions in terms of skill.

Charles Grice Driesell was born on December 25, 1931, in Norfolk, Virginia. He grew up in the city and was a standout basketball player at Granby High School before enrolling at Duke University.

Following his employment at Ford Motor Co., Driesell accepted a position as a junior varsity football and basketball coach at Granby in 1954. He persuaded his wife, Joyce, that he could handle the decrease in salary by simultaneously selling encyclopedias. He later advanced to the role of head coach for the varsity team before transitioning to Newport News High, where he achieved a record of 57 consecutive wins.

In 1960, he accepted a position at Davidson, a team that had just finished their 11th consecutive losing season. In his first year, he had a record of 9-14, which was one of only two instances in his entire college coaching career where he ended the season with a losing record.

Driesell won three Southern Conference tournaments and five regular-season championships at Davidson over nine years and went 176-65 before being hired at Maryland. He won 348 games with the Terrapins, a long-lasting school record that was finally broken in 2006 by Gary Williams.

In 2002, Williams emerged as the NCAA champion. Upon his return home, he received a message from Driesell, stating: “Gary, your accomplishment has turned Maryland into the UCLA of the East. Congratulations.”

In 1988, Driesell was hired by James Madison, a small school in Virginia. The school had a record of 10-18 in 1987. In his first year, Driesell led the team to a record of 16-14. In his second year, they had a record of 20-11. He also guided the Dukes to four consecutive NIT appearances before finally making it to the NCAA Tournament in 1994.

Driesell compiled a 159-111 record at James Madison and enjoyed continued success at Georgia State. The Panthers were 29-5 in 2000-01 and upset Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Two years later, he retired in the early stages of his 41st season with a career record of 786-394. At the time, he ranked fourth in NCAA Division I wins, behind only Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp and Bob Knight.

At the age of 71, the man known fondly by many as the Ol’ Left-hander had finally reached his limit.

“I am exhausted and I have a severe cold. I am planning on retiring,” Driesell stated. “I am excited to not have a job anymore, so I can wake up and do whatever I please.”

Driesell had four children who survived him. During his time at Duke University, Driesell secretly married Joyce in December 1952. Sadly, she passed away in 2021.

Chuck, the sole offspring of the couple, was a member of the Terrapins team led by his father from 1981 to 1985. He later joined his father as an assistant coach at James Madison. In 2010, he was selected as the coach for The Citadel, but was dismissed after five unsuccessful seasons.

While assisting his father at James Madison, Chuck Driesell gained first-hand experience in the challenges of coaching.

“My father entrusted me with a great deal of responsibility, and we put in a lot of effort,” he stated. “As both a son and a player, I don’t think I fully comprehended how much my father worked. But I soon realized it for myself.”

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Source: wralsportsfan.com