Legendary Maryland men’s basketball coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell has died. He was known for his fierce personality on the court and helped bring the Terrapins to national attention. He was 92 years old.
The university confirmed Driesell’s death on Saturday. He died at his home in Virginia Beach.
Maryland’s basketball team was one of several struggling programs that Driesell helped rebuild after arriving on campus. He also coached at Davidson College, James Madison University and Georgia State University. He racked up over 100 wins in each match, but his longest and most memorable match took place in College Park, Maryland.
Driesell spent the 1969-1986 seasons at Maryland’s baseline, finishing his impressive tenure with 348 wins.
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Charles Grice Lefty Driesell, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2018 Class of Famer, speaks during the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on September 7, 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Terrapins have advanced to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament eight times under Coach Driesell. The Terrapins also won his 1972 NIT Championship and his 1984 ACC Tournament Championship under Driesell’s guidance.
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Maryland athletic director Damon Evans called Driesell a “transcendent person.”
“Lefty Driesell was a transcendent figure in college basketball, the man who put Maryland basketball on the map,” Evans said in a statement.
“Lefty, a Hall of Famer, was an innovator and a man ahead of his time from his on-court coaching to off-the-court marketing. From his starting role on Midnight Madness to his pitching to a sold-out Cole Fieldhouse crowd. From captivating to being nationally televised, Lefty “achieved everything… We are saddened to hear of his passing and send our condolences to his entire family and our entire community of friends.” His memory will forever be etched in Maryland basketball history.”
Driesell retired from coaching at the University of Maryland in 1986, shortly after star player Len Bias died of a drug overdose. Although Driesell was cleared of wrongdoing, he was effectively stripped of his coaching duties. After about two years of various athletic duties, Driesell decided he would leave College Park in 1988. He was then named head coach at James Madison University.
Driesell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, which legendary Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said was a long time coming.
“His contribution to the game goes far beyond wins and losses, and he won a lot,” Krzyzewski said. “This is an honor he has had for a long time.”
Former Maryland head coach Lefty Driesell waves to the crowd during a timeout against Purdue on February 6, 2016 in College Park, Maryland. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Driesell was named head coach at Davidson College in 1960, giving him his first opportunity to coach at the college basketball level. The Wildcats won eight Southern Conference titles under Driesell.
All four of the college basketball teams coached by Driesell made at least one NCAA Tournament appearance, with Maryland and Davidson reaching the Elite Eight twice. He is also credited with creating the college basketball tradition known as Midnight Madness, which began in 1971.
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Maryland honored Driesell during a home game against Michigan State in January. Before becoming a coach, Driesell was a standout basketball player at Duke University in the early 1950s.
Driesel has four children. His son Chuck played for his father at the University of Maryland from 1981-85. Chuck later became an assistant coach under his father at James Madison.
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