Charles "Lefty" Driesell (1931-) - Legendary College Basketball Coach, Now in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

[DonRocks]

"Naismith Hall of Fame Finally Does Right by Lefty and Votes in Driesell" by John Feinstein on washingtonpost.com

Brian Magid's Facebook Status regarding the announcement

Pam Driesell's Facebook Status regarding the announcement

Some insider trivia: The Driesells lived right across the street from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, MD - I went to school with Pam since 5th grade (when they moved up here from Davidson, NC), as well as Chuck (who played for Maryland), but here's the really esoteric, insider trivia: Their house was literally right next door to the family of Harold Solomon. who is the only tennis player from Maryland ever to be ranked in the World Top 10 (excluding Fred McNair in doubles) - the Solomons (with son Harold, and daughter Shelley) were, as incredible as they may sound, the best-of-the-best in terms of Maryland Tennis - now, having been next-door neighbors (although I think the Solomons might have moved to Florida before the Driesells arrived in the early 1970s) these two families can perhaps boast the only next-door homes whose family members are in the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame (although my former tennis coach, rival, and friend, Gil Scheurholz, who was ranked #1 in the United States in the 35-and-over division for several years, has a father *and* a grandfather who are both in as well - if you ever go to Camden Yards, look on the wall - they're both in there, and I assure you that Gi III deserves to be also - he is the most devastating tennis player I have ever faced in person; not the best, but the most devastating).

[DaveO]

Nice to learn about it.  I was a fan of U MD and Leftie at the time.  Real character.  All that “foot stompin”. 

U Md basketball coaches in the HOF include Leftie and Gary Williams.  That is an impressive several decades of great coaches and teams in what has mostly been the best college basketball conference.  Fun to follow them.

Lefty created the U Md phenomena of the team as a powerhouse “force to be reckoned with”.  It was a great run with those two coaches (separated by several troubled years). Lefty also had great runs before and after MD.   

Lefty’s 73-74 team is the squad responsible for expanding the NCAA basketball tournament.  They lost to N.C. State in the ACC tournament finals in what is arguably the greatest college basketball game ever

That U MD team was formidable often described as the best team to never make a he NCAA’s

Watched it.  It merited that description and possibly still does.  The above link recalls it with comments from Lefty and some players.   Changing the structure of the NCAA’s —that alone is HOF worthy

Lastly Lefty coached Len Bias and was coach when Bias died from a drug overdose.  Lefty lost his coaching position at Md then and it is this tragedy which surely delayed his entering the HOF

Post Script:  That March 1974 ACC tournament game was one of the greatest sports events I've ever watched.  I'm admittedly biased as a fan of basketball, an old fan of college basketball, especially as players stayed for 3 or 4 years and kept developing, an ACC and a Maryland fan.  Regardless it was a spectacle, intense the entire 45 minutes, played well and at a fast pace, never dull, and featured a plethora of players who went into the NBA including the amazing David Thompson, one of the truly talented super stars of all time.  Good number of article about it with many retrospectives from the participants, many of whom aver it was the greatest game in which they ever played.