College basketball coach Lefty Driesell has passed away at the age of 92 years old Saturday morning according to his family as he was a hall of fame and legendary figure in the sports world. He coached a bevy of teams, four of them in the Maryland basketball team, Georgia State, James Madison, and Davidson where he won at least 100 games with each of them.

In total, he has 786 career wins and when he retired in 2003, only three other coaches in Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp, and Dean Smith had more victories according to ESPN. Subsequently, he was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2018 where he was 86 years old. Basketball insider Adrian Wojnarowski posted about Driesell's passing, saying he was “incomparable.”

Maryland basketball figures commemorate the passing of Driesell

 

Current Maryland basketball head coach Kevin Willard also chimed in on the passing, calling him a “monumental figure.” In terms of impact, Willard says that “words cannot express all that Coach Driesell embodies and the impact he made on the game” according to the school.

“It is with great sadness that we received this news today and our condolences go out to his family,” Willard said. “Words cannot express all that Coach Driesell embodied and the impact he made on the game. Most importantly, however, was his commitment to his players and the depth of relationships he made with all those around him. Maryland and the college basketball world lost one of its monumental figures today.” 

Maryland athletic director calls Driesell a “transcendent figure”

Athletic Director Damon Evans who oversees the Maryland basketball team released a statement about the passing of Driesell and called him a “transcendent figure.” He went on to say that Driesell's “memory will forever be etched in Maryland basketball history.”

“Lefty Driesell was a transcendent figure in college basketball and the man who put Maryland basketball on the map,” Evans said. “A Hall of Famer, Lefty was an innovator, a man who was ahead of his time from his coaching on the court to his marketing off the court. From starting Midnight Madness to nationally-televised games with sold out Cole Field House crowds, Lefty did it all. He led Maryland to the NIT Championship, eight NCAA Tournaments, multiple ACC Championships and a consistent Top-10 ranking during his tenure, producing tons of NBA players. We are saddened to hear of his passing and send our condolences to his entire family and community of friends. His memory will be forever etched in Maryland basketball history.”

Driesell coached for over 40 seasons, reaching the NCAA tournament with all four of the aforementioned schools. He took Maryland and Davidson to the Elite Eight twice. Consequently, there is no doubt that Driesell's name will live forever in the college basketball world.