Lefty Driesell, the legendary college basketball coach who built Maryland into a top program, has died at the age of 92.
“Lefty Driesell was a transcendent figure in college basketball and a man who left his mark on Maryland basketball,” said Maryland Athletic Director Damon Evans. “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. He led Maryland to an NIT championship, eight NCAA tournaments, multiple ACC championships and consistently ranked in the top 10 during his tenure. “He produced countless NBA players, his entire family, and his entire community of friends. His memory will forever be etched in Maryland basketball history.”
Driesell began his coaching career at Davidson College, where he led the Wildcats to five Southern Conference regular season championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 1969, Driesell was hired by Maryland State University and spent 17 seasons building the program, leading to an NIT title (1972), two ACC regular season titles, three Sweet 16 appearances, and an appearance in the Elite Eight. .
During his time with the Terrapins, Driesell helped develop many star players, including Len Bias, Tom McMillen, Len Elmore, Buck Williams, and John Lucas.
I am very sad to share that Coach Lefty Driesell passed away this morning. He is a legend on and off the court and has made a huge contribution to my life. I am grateful that we got to share some time together a few weeks ago. We will miss him very much.
— Tom McMillen (@TomMcMillen611) February 17, 2024
One of Driesell's lasting legacies in college basketball is that he started the tradition of “Midnight Madness,” an annual public practice open day that has become a major event at the school.
There was little craziness when this tradition began.
From a 2014 article in Sports Illustrated:
Did you know that Midnight Madness started with a midnight run?
That's true. It happened on October 15, 1971 at Byrd Stadium at the University of Maryland, College Park. Three minutes after midnight (to avoid starting too early in violation of NCAA rules), he began his one-mile run on the track, which is mandatory for members of the school's basketball team. The lights in the stadium were off, so the only illumination was the headlights of a few cars parked at the edge of the stadium. Although the practice was not publicized, about 800 students gathered to watch. Apparently it spread through word of mouth.
Driesell's time at College Park ended in 1986 with 348 wins, second only to Gary Williams (461) in school history. He left Maryland a few months after Bias' death and returned to coaching at James Madison two years later.
During his nine years with James Madison, Driesell amassed 159 career wins and led the Dukes to five straight Colonial Athletic Association titles, four NIT appearances and one NCAA Tournament appearance.
Driesell's last coaching stop was at Georgia State University, where he won four Atlantic Sun Conference regular season titles and one tournament championship. He retired in 2003, his fourth-highest finish as an NCAA Division I men's basketball coach. He is the only coach to win at least his 100 games at four different schools.
“Lefty was the ultimate program builder. He did it at four schools,” McMillen, a former NBA player and later U.S. congressman, said via the Baltimore Sun. “with him [the late North Carolina coach] Dean Smith looked a lot like him. They were both fiercely driven and big thinkers. Lefty took the sleepy program and put it on the map. He helped create an aura at Maryland. ”
Driesell is a member of both the College Basketball Hall of Fame (2007) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2018).
