Had the great fortune of growing up in Baltimore during the 70's--lived and died with Lefty and the Terps!! (I STILL haven't gotten over Maryland's loss to NC State in the 74' ACC tournament--what a team--John Lucas, Tom McMillan, Len Elmore--any other year that's a Final Four/National title team!!) Those were really special times--so many great memories!! ACC basketball in the 70's was as good as it gets--and Lefty really had some outstanding teams when he was head coach at Maryland!
Being a gamecock, I grew up hearing about him getting punched . Saw an interview with him and Frank McGuire talking about it, and it was hilarious. Instantly became a fan
Lefty is a Virginia Sports Legend, I was also born in Norfolk, VA, just like Lefty. He was a bit before my time, but I kind of remember when he coached at Maryland. I was surprised that he didn’t mention Len Bias though.
Congratulations to Lefty, a very oratorically entertaining, and underrated head coach, whose best coaching tenure may have come while leading then little known Georgia State University in Atlanta (1997-2003), to national recognition, highlighted by a 2001 NCAA Tournament 1st Round upset of 6th seeded Wisconsin...
It was amazing to be in Springfield and see Coach Driesell finally recognized for his contributions to our game. Great to see you. As always the Lefthander stole the show! Congratulations to a LEGEND.
As a Maryland Hoops fan, I've following his career, he should have gotten in 10 years earlier except the Len Bias death forced him to resign. In that case with a Grand Jury he was found Not Guilty and there was no NCAA investigation, it hurt his chances until now. He went on to coach at James Madison and Georgia State where they named the court after him, because be he came they had no winning seasons and they had a bunch of them under him..
@@rockvilleraven he almost came to ECU after Maryland; he would have forever changed Pirate basketball. We tried to get him! We really did. But I think rebuilding ECU in the shadow of the Big 4 would have been nearly impossible to do, but no doubt, he would have done it!
Wow, he may have slowed down physically here, but his mind and his "gift for gab" is/was certainly still strong. He is/was one of the most entertaining head coaches in college 🏀, and I sort of feel that overshadowed his receiving more credit for his coaching acumen. Godspeed "Lefty", you are/were one of a kind...🙏🏽
He could have gotten inducted as a Contributor alone, he started March Madness which is the start of college basketball season at most schools and the greatest College Basketball game of all time was the finals of the 1974 ACC Tournament Championship game where his Terps lost to NC State in OT, but it paved the way for "at large" bid into the NCAA Tournament. Before that you usually had to win your conference tournament to get in the Big Dance. Credit Lefty for making both helping make these innovations that made the game more popular.
@@rockvilleraven Cannot dispute that. Look at how the tournament expanded and all the Cinderella champions. He's credited for paying the way for at large teams to joining the NCAA Tournament.
@@meharinationsportspodcast2582Not to mention "Midnight Madness" , which almost every program emulates, it's not the same at Maryland, its just a fan fest with both the Men's and Women's team having short smidges.
Lefty Driesell was a fine coach, entertaining speaker and passionate teacher of basketball. Truly deserving of his place in the HOF. He coached multiple college programs into the NCAA tournament and led many young men into the profession of coaching. Thanks Lefty.
I remember when he got Georgia state in the NCAA tournament and a victory this man's a legend and this is by far the best speech I've heard Grant Hill's was hella good too but to get a prospective from an older legendary coach is cool
You nailed it. Also, the ''even-prior-step'' one could say, that's true greatness. What an original and seminal coach, well deserved respect that he receives.
Lefty played a major part in my life with all the years I attended his camp at Maryland with him looking at me when he went over to JMU after the unfortunate passing of Len Bias. I wish coach would have given a shout-out to Len and the Bias family. Bias put Marland on the map in what he did for the state of Maryland, and the University Maryland basketball program..
there went a great man......entertaining as all get out, too. he stands out now as a 'character'.... people dont have any 'color' anymore. i miss that.
Some of his former Maryland players after hearing this said that the real reason he didn't make the hall all those years was because Lefty's speech would be too entertaining.
Len Bias is my favorite athlete of all time but Lefty had better Maryland teams than the one Lenny played on (although the 1984 and 1985 teams just missed the Elite Eight)
Recruited Bryan Adrian great nyc player who was catholic by posting a sign to impress his parents future home of st. Mary's catholic church ! His parents agreed to let him go. Of course there was not going to be any church just a gym. Coached and recruited Mike Malloy cook Kroll moser adrian Trimble Elmore McMillan but he never did become UCLA of the east. Natural salesman. Who convinced many average players they were better than they were.
Otherwise he would have gotten in 10 years earlier. They found Lefty Not Guilty of wrongdoing in his death and there was no NCAA investigation. That should have cleared him. He took the fall for Len by being forced to resign.
rockvilleraven well he was responsible as the head coach for players like Long and Massenburg not going to any classes all semester and cocaine parties in the dorm. It was a bad scene. He turned his head to all of those things off the court. But definitely a HOF coach and teacher of the game.
joseph coughlin: Look at many coaches, particularly college coaches, in the Hall of Fame (i.e. Rick Pitino). The Hall held Coach Driesell to a standard higher than his peers in college coaching. When Len Bias dead, he was the 4th winningest coach in the history of college basketball. He won 786 games and every program he led required building a winner. He didn’t walk into the traditions of a Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana or North Carolina.
If players going to class is now the threshold, the numbers of college coaches in the Hall would be cut in half. What happens to the two Hall of Fame coaches at North Carolina? There should be some consistency in the threshold. For any Driesell player who did not serve as a model citizen, he had 3 who were being named Rhodes Scholars and model for what a student-athlete should be. No major NCAA violations and a great graduation rate. Thank God he was alive when he finally made it. It was a blessing. It was overdue.
G Respress I never said he deserved the wait I was just stating why he had to wait. You can bring up other coaches' resumes all you want. They never had a player die. Do you understand that. When someone dies the rules change...that's reality.
