Legendary former college basketball coach Charles Grice “Lefty” Griesel has died at the age of 92.
The news was first announced on Facebook by former Maryland Congressman Tom McMillen, who played for Driesell at the University of Maryland.
Driesell is best known for coaching Maryland from 1969 to 1986, and has also served as head coach at Davidson, James Madison and Georgia State.
He also served as Maryland’s assistant director of athletics from 1986 to 1988.
Driesell’s college head coaching record was 786-394, and his Terrapins won the NIT in 1972, the ACC Tournament in 1984, and the regular season ACC Championship in 1975 and 1980.
Driesell coached four teams to the Elite Eight and four teams to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
He also won the conference Coach of the Year award seven times during his other three coaching stints.
He is the only coach in NCAA history to be named Coach of the Year in four different conferences (Southern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, and Atlantic Sun Conference).
Driesell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Driesell resigned from the University of Maryland in 1986 after small forward Len Bias, selected by the Celtics with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft, died of a cocaine overdose.
Driesell was accused of directing assistant coach Oliver Parnell to hide evidence of drug use on the field.
“I don’t remember if I told him to clean his room.” Driesell told The Ringer in 2021. “I remember telling him to have the players come to my house. I might have asked him, ‘Did you clean your room?’ Or “Did you see any drugs?” But I don’t remember it. I don’t think so. ”
“Hey, wait, wait,” he continued. “You say I did it? So what’s the weirdo? He was in the hospital and was supposed to be checked for drugs. Right? I mean, I told him to clean up.” No. I don’t think so. I don’t know, maybe he knew. But I wasn’t trying to hide that he was using drugs. Hey, nobody. I knew he was – the doctor was going to check to see if he was on drugs. I don’t think I ever told Oliver that. I think I told you to come to my house and ask him.”
Driesell later added: For you or someone else! I never loved Leonard Bias! If I thought he was using drugs, I would have kicked his ass off the team. Besides, how on earth do you remember things from 35 years ago? ”
Other players who starred in Driesell’s place at Maryland included Adrian Branch, Brad Davis, Albert King, Len Elmore, John Lucas, and Buck Williams.
Driesell played center at Duke University from 1951 to 1954.
