Basketball fans throughout the world received heartbreaking news of the passing away of a legendary college Basketball coach, Lefty Driesell, earlier today. Lefty breathed his last on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at the age of 92.
Charles “Lefty” Driesell was a Hall of Fame coach, who is often credited for putting Maryland on the college basketball map. He started his four-decade-long coaching journey with Davidson in 1960 and ended it with Georgia State in 2003.
How did Lefty Driesell die?
As per reports, the legendary basketball coach died on Saturday at the age of 92 in unfortunate circumstances. Lefty reportedly died at his Virginia Beach, Virginia, home where he had been living for years including his last few years overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.
His health had been deteriorating since the death of his wife Joyce, as his daughter claimed. However, the exact illness is unknown. His four children stated the death of their father, which read, “While our hearts are heavy with grief, we also give thanks to God for the 92 years Dad stirred up excitement, laughter, and fun in this world.”
They added, “From coaching on the basketball court to recruiting on the road to boating on the Delaware Bay to body surfing at Bethany Beach — there are endless stories and memories of Lefty’s adventure and antics. True to form, Dad took his life into OT and eventually went out just the way he wanted to – in his home overlooking the Chesapeake Bay and the beach where he courted his lifelong sweetheart, our mom, Joyce Gunter.”
Lefty, 92, had been suffering from age-related sickness for a while now before he finally left for his heavenly abode during the early hours of February 17, 2024. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in college basketball.
Lefty Driesell’s legacy
The American coach began his coaching journey with Davidson College, where he coached between 1960 to 1969. His most well-known tenure at Maryland College between 1969 to 1986 was his second stop. After exiting Maryland, he continued at James Madison between 1988 and 1997 before heading to Georgia State in 1997 and permanently retiring in 2003.
Notably, Lefty is one of only two coaches in the history of the NCAA to ever win 100 games at four different schools. The coach won an impressive 786 games at the four schools he served, namely, Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, and Georgia State.
His longest and most significant tenure of 17 seasons was at Maryland, wherein he led the Terrapins to eight NCAA tournament visits as well as the 1972 NIT championship. He recorded 348 wins in College Park, standing second in history behind Gary Williams.
Lefty was forced out of Maryland in 1986 after the demise of Len Bias, the No. 2 overall draft pick that year. Len reportedly died after a cocaine-induced heart attack. Lefty was later reassigned to an administrative job in Maryland. He eventually returned to coaching at James Madison two years later.
Lefty was named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Missouri, in the year 2007. A decade later in 2018, he was officially inducted into basketball’s Hall of Fame.
The legendary coach is also credited with inventing the tradition of “Midnight Madness” in college basketball, wherein the fans show up to watch the team’s first practice of the season.