Charles “Lefty” Driesell is an American coaching legend.  He is the only NCAA Basketball Coach to win more than one hundred games with four different Division I college basketball programs.  As such, he is largely considered the greatest program builder of all time.  And, at the time of his retirement on January 1, 2003, his 786 total wins placed him as the fourth-winningest D-1 college basketball coach in history (behind fellow legends Dean Smith (879), Adolph Rupp (876), and Bobby Knight (818).

But Lefty’s story is about more than wins and losses.  It is about more than coaching and execution.  It is a story of hard work and resilience.  It is a story of true love.  It is the story of a good man.

And it is a story of faith, family, AND basketball!

Growing Up on Basketball

“Lefty” Driesell’s coaching legend is rooted in Norfolk, Virginia.  At eight years old, Lefty’s family moved four blocks from Granby High School (which also had a first through eighth grade elementary school).  “Lefty” and his friends would frequently walk up to the school and toss the football.   Bill Story, the Head Football, Baseball and Basketball Coach at Granby, noticed that “Lefty” was always hanging around and always enthusiastic.

“In second grade, Coach Story asked me to be a manager on the Varsity Football Team.  We only had one Varsity Coach so I ended up managing the basketball and baseball teams as well.”

“Lefty” didn’t just pick up towels and cheer on the team.  He picked up on the nuances of the players.  He developed an understanding of the game.  He became a mini-assistant coach.  And Coach Story appreciated all the help from this child prodigy.

“In the fourth grade, I earned  a Varsity Letter in basketball for my contributions on the bench.  That was how I learned to coach.  And that letter was my first big honor!”

“Lefty” Driesell went on to manage all three sports through the eighth grade.  Granby won multiple State Championships in all three sports during his time on the bench.  By the time ninth grade rolled around, “Lefty” could finally play at the Varsity level.

He loved football most of all.  But a nasty ear infection in 9th grade led to a radical mastoidectomy procedure to remove the bone behind Lefty’s ear.  He was never allowed to play football again.  And it wouldn’t be the last time that ear would sidetrack his athletic career!

But, while he continued to play baseball, basketball became Lefty’s passion.  He was tall, strong, and quick.  By senior year, he was a star.  In the state championship tournament, he averaged 20 points a game and led Granby to the Group 1 Virginia State Championship.  The scholarship offers poured in.  The boy from Norfolk was going big time.

Love Plays a Role

“Lefty” Driesell received scholarship offers from NC State, William and Mary, Richmond, and Duke.  But his first choice was Tennessee.  Dan Butler, a former classmate and Lefty’s good friend from Granby, was recruited by Tennessee for football and they were going to room together.  “Lefty” loved the campus and the atmosphere and eventually UT made him an offer.  There was only one catch.

“General Neyland [the legendary UT Football Coach and Athletic Director] wouldn’t let the athletes get married.  That was a problem for me.”

“Lefty” Driesell met Joyce Gunter when he was in ninth grade and she was in eighth grade.  It was love at first sight.

“Joyce is my baby.  She will always be my baby.  I didn’t think I could wait four years before marrying her!”

And so it goes.  “Lefty” had a special relationship with Duke Head Basketball Coach “Gerry” Gerard.  And when Coach Gerard informed “Lefty” there were plenty of athletes already married at Duke, the choice was clear.  “Lefty” Driesell would become a Duke Blue Devil.

But Lefty’s time at Duke was not always smooth.  Coach Gerard passed away in the Fall of his freshman year.  Red Auerbach, who would go on to win nine NBA Championships as coach of the Boston Celtics, came in to take over in the late fall.  “Lefty” bonded with him right away.

“Red Auberbach was a hero of mine.  But he also became my friend.  He was with me through the ups and downs of my life.”

But Coach Auberbach’s time at Duke was short.  He left before the season started without coaching a single game.  Coach Harold Bradley took over for the rest of the time “Lefty” was in Durham.

The coaching carousel was one thing.  But “Lefty” faced a much tougher challenge.  Going into his sophomore year, Lefty’s ear started acting up again.  He had dealt with the side effects of the operation since ninth grade.  But now the ear became such a problem, he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

“Lefty” went to the top ear specialist at Duke University Hospital.  And the news was grim.  The doctor determined that “Lefty” Driesell could never play basketball again!

“That was truly devastating.  Basketball had been my life since the second grade!”

Without basketball, “Lefty” lost his focus.  He invited Joyce to come up every weekend.  Once again, she was his rock.  She helped him through his darkest moments.  It brought them even closer.  They were destined to be together.  And on December 14th, 1952, they made it official.

“We just eloped.  Didn’t tell anyone.  Turned out to be the best move I ever made.”

With Joyce by his side, “Lefty” was reinvigorated.  He worked out feverishly.  He took care of his ear.  He begged Coach Bradley to let him play.  By the beginning of his junior year, “Lefty” had made a miraculous recovery. He was cleared to play the game he loved!

“Lefty” Driesell finally had the opportunity to play Varsity basketball his junior year at Duke (back then, Freshmen were not allowed to play Varsity).  He had lost a step or two with his time away from the game. But by the end of the season, “Lefty” was back in old form.

His senior year at Duke was the first year of the newly-formed Atlantic Coast Conference.  He helped Duke go 10-1 in league play and capture the very first regular season ACC Championship!  Lefty’s  comeback in basketball was complete.  And with a new wife and a renewed passion, “Lefty” Driesell graduated into the real world.

(Photo Courtesy of “Lefty” Driesell)

A Coach Blossoms

“Lefty” needed to support his new family and money was a factor. He took his first job out of college with The Ford Motor Company (he had worked on the loading dock for them during his summers at Duke).

“The pay was pretty good for the time.  I made $6,200 a year.  But it wasn’t me.  All I wanted to do was coach!” 

As fate would have it, the Junior Varsity football and basketball head coach position opened up at Granby High School.  Athletic Director Ray Casey could only think of one person to fill the role.

“I was thrilled to get the opportunity to go back to Granby.  Absolutely thrilled.  But it only paid $3,200 a year!”

“Lefty” knew they couldn’t survive on that kind of money.  But he had a plan.  He would sell World Book Encyclopedias door-to-door in the summer to make up the difference in pay.  He wouldn’t do it if Joyce didn’t support it.  Of course, Joyce knew it would all work out.  She knew “Lefty” could coach.  It was off to Granby!

“Lefty” coached JV basketball and football and taught history.  Under Coach Driesell, Granby went undefeated in football both seasons, and unscored upon in his second season.   And he had even more success in basketball.  His knowledge was off the charts and he was promoted to the Head Coach of Varsity basketball after one year at the JV level.  And the Encyclopedias?

“I went up and down those streets with the Granby School Directory selling to the parents of every student and player I knew.  It was hard for them to say no.”

Turns out “Lefty” could coach AND sell!

Newport News High School, a perennial Virginia powerhouse, offered “Lefty” his next basketball head coaching opportunity.  How did he do?  They went 25-0 and won the state championship in his first year.  And at one point, they won 57 straight games, a Virginia high school record.  The second-grade prodigy manager had blossomed into the hottest high school coach in the country.  Lefty’s dream of coaching college basketball was within reach.

Eddie Cameron, the long-time Athletic Director at Duke University, had always admired Lefty’s hustle and grit as a player and a person.  So when he heard about a job opening for the Head Basketball Coach at Davidson College, he reached out to “Lefty” immediately.

The basketball program at Davidson had fallen on hard times.  But with Joyce’s blessing, he jumped at the chance to rebuild it.  “Lefty” Driesell interviewed for the position and won the job!  A college coaching guru was born.

(Photo Courtesy of Davidson College Athletics)

A Top 10 Program

“Lefty” Driesell had a losing season in his first year at Davidson.  He would only have one more losing season (33 years later!)  over the course of his 41-year college coaching career.

Davidson surged under Coach Driesell.  He promised they would be a “Top 10 Program” in the country. Very few expected he would succeed.

“People thought I was crazy.  But I knew what I was doing.  Small college. Big college.  It don’t matter.  Basketball is basketball!”

Exactly, coach.

“Lefty” Driesell led tiny Davidson College (only 900 men enrolled at the time) to four final Top 10 finishes in his nine years at Davidson.

“I always thought finishing in the final Top 10 was the true mark of a great program.  Winning a national championship can come down to a single play or fluke moment.  But consistently earning a final Top 10 spot speaks to sustained excellence.”

And “Lefty” would find out just how painful the NCAA tournament could be.  In 1968, Davidson advanced to the Final Eight, only to go down to in-state rival North Carolina in the final minutes of the game.  The next year, Davidson once again advanced to the Final Eight to play North Carolina in raucous Cole Field House at The University of Maryland.  This time, Davidson had the advantage the entire game.  But Charlie Scott, North Carolina’s All-American shooting guard, who had originally signed with “Lefty” at Davidson, caught fire.

And in the closing moments, Charlie Scott pulled up to hit the game-winning jump shot with no time on the clock.  Once again, Davidson would finish in the Top 10 but would not advance to the Final Four.

“That game really hurt.  We were a real good team and I felt terrible for the kids. But we had a great team returning.  We’d be back.”

Or so he thought.

(Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

A Maryland Legend is Born

Davidson had just suffered a heart-breaking, buzzer-beating loss on the campus of  The University of Maryland.  Moments later, Maryland’s Athletic Director, Jim Kehoe, approached “Lefty” with a unique offer.  Would he consider leaving Davidson and heading north to coach the Maryland Terrapins?

“I had just lost and was still hurting.  Plus we had [All-American] Mike Maloy and two other starters coming back.  I’d be crazy to leave.”

But Jim Kehoe was a pretty good salesman himself.  The University of Maryland was a sleeping giant.  He offered “Lefty” entree to a huge national stage.  In the Washington, DC area at the time, Vince Lombardi coached the Redskins in the Fall.   Ted Williams managed the Washington Senators in the Spring.  And “Lefty” Driesell would have the opportunity to dominate the winter time slot.  It was a brilliant pitch.

“I saw the possibility for greatness.  That was pretty good coaching company up there in DC.”

But now the Driesell Family was more than just Joyce.  They had three small children, Patti, Pam, Chuck (Carolyn was born a few years later) and they had a good thing going in North Carolina.

“In the end, we couldn’t say no.  Joyce cried when we left Davidson.  But come to think of it, she cried whenever we changed jobs.  That’s how much she cared!”

“Lefty” Driesell did not disappoint his fans in College Park, MD.  Once again, he built a dominant program predicated on hard work and consistency. And the team’s grit was manifested in Lefty’s own worth ethic.  Back then, teams were not allowed to start practice until October 15th.  But “Lefty” didn’t want to waste a minute.  So, at 12:01am on October 15th, 1971, “Lefty” assembled his team on the Maryland track to run a mile in under six minutes.  Thousands of fans showed up to cheer.  And that is how the nationwide tradition of Midnight Madness was born!

“I really believed in the old saying ‘The harder you work, the luckier you get’.  That was the inspiration behind Midnight Madness.  I wanted my teams to outwork everyone.  Best to start right away.”

It worked.  Maryland was ranked as high as Number 2 in the country during the regular season for four consecutive years from 1972 to 1976.  “Lefty” loved his players, charmed his fans and carved out a home for his family.  He put the Washington, DC area on the map for basketball.  The “sleeping giant” of Maryland was awake and hungry for a title.

But life is rarely a steady rise of success and good fortune.  And “Lefty” was not immune from the sting of near misses and defeats that befall any coach.

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Defining Moment in College Park

In the 1973-’74 season, Maryland had arguably the best team ever assembled in College Park.   John Lucas, Tom McMillen, and Len Elmore would all go on to play professionally in the NBA.  And they were primed for a title.  “Lefty” came to College Park and promised that The Terrapins would be the “UCLA of the East” (a reference to the string of titles UCLA won in the late sixties and early seventies under Coach John Wooden).  And in the ’73-’74 season, Maryland opened up at UCLA.

“It was a battle.  We ended losing by a single point.  But John Wooden told me we were the best team he had ever played.  I knew we would have another shot at them in the National Championship game.”

Or so he thought.  

As expected, Maryland had a great season with only a few stumbles along the way.  Back in those days, only one team from each conference advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the right to win a National Championship.  And fellow ACC School NC State, led by phenom David Thompson and center Tom Burleson,  had a formidable squad as well.  Had this been a different era, both teams would have made the NCAA Tournament and each might have been Number 1 Seeds.  But when they met for the ACC Championship game, one team’s season would be over that night.

The game is considered one of the greatest college basketball games of all time.  The two East Coast heavyweights went back and forth matching basket for basket.  The game was tied at the end of regulation and went into overtime.  But Maryland, who had played three consecutive games (NC State had a first-round bye) AND had three players play the entire game, wore down in the end.   The Terrapins lost to the eventual NCAA Champion Wolfpack, 103-100.

“I couldn’t believe it was over.  Just like that.  Over.”

And now Maryland would be the greatest team never to play in the NCAA tournament.

Something had to be done.  Tom Scott, who was Lefty’s Athletic Director at Davidson, headed the NCAA Selection Committee. The next year, he led the charge to have “at-large” bids, allowing more than one team from a conference to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.  It is known as “The Maryland Rule”.

“I was happy they changed the rule.  But I wish we had won that game. And I wish they called it ‘The North Carolina State Rule’!”

And so, for “Lefty” and the Maryland Terrapin Program, it was a defining moment.  Not the ending they wanted, but a slice of basketball history.  And, as they headed into the following season, optimism remained high.  They had a strong core of starting players returning.  And they had perhaps the biggest recruit in college basketball history poised to come on campus.

A “Can’t Miss” Kid

Moses Malone was a “can’t miss” basketball prospect from Petersburg, Virginia.  At 6’9, 210 pounds, he was a rebounding machine and a man among boys at the high school level.

“I went down to see him play his junior year, and he scored 50 points…every single one of them off of offensive rebounds!  He was just unbelievable.  I mean he was THE TRUTH!”

“Lefty” knew Moses Malone could single-handedly change a basketball program.  But their connection was about WAY more than basketball.

“Over the next two years, I probably saw Moses more than my family.  In fact, I considered him family.  He never smoked or drank and he was a true Christian.  And his mom, Mary, was an ANGEL!”

The bond between “Lefty” and The Malone Family was genuine.  But with every college coach in the country fighting to sign him, “Lefty” still didn’t know where Moses would end up.

Finally, Mary Malone invited “Lefty” and assistant coaches Dave Pritchett and Howard White down to Petersburg to make it official.  Moses would be signing with The University of Maryland!

“Lefty” wasn’t allowed to drive Moses so he followed him to his house while his high school coach drove Moses home from practice.  But when they got to the house, Moses said he was too tired to sign.

“Dave Pritchett was nervous as a cat.  He thought there was something fishy.  And he insisted that we cancel the hotel room and sleep in the car right in front of Moses Malone’s house.  So we did!”

Sure enough, at 6:30am the next morning, Head VCU Basketball Coach Chuck Noe and a VCU Alumnus walked across the front lawn and up the front steps of the Malone residence.  Game on.

“Pritchett was hooting and hollering and woke me up.  But by the time we scrambled out of the car and got inside, Mary Malone had already set everyone straight.”

Mary told the VCU Coach and the VCU Alum that Moses would be signing with Maryland.  All four men awkwardly stood in the tiny downstairs room.

“Finally, Mary said Moses was still sleeping but to just go upstairs and get it done.  So we went up and signed Moses Malone right then and there while he was still in his bed!” 

The battle to sign Moses Malone was over.  But getting Moses on campus in College Park was another matter.

Moses Malone started reading The Bible at an early age.  And he wrote down his goals right in the back of his Bible.  One goal was to be the best player in the country after his junior year.  Mission accomplished.  The second goal was a little more complicated.

Spencer Haywood, the first basketball player to leave college early and play professionally, was Moses Malone’s hero.  Moses wasn’t allowed to go directly to the National Basketball Association from high school.  But he could go to the newly-formed American Basketball Association (ABA).  Moses wrote down in his Bible that he wanted to be the first high school basketball player to go directly to the professional ranks.

“Moses told me this was his goal and the Lord would want him to do it.  But I knew he could get more money in the NBA if he came to College Park for a time.  I told him ‘The Lord wouldn’t mind if you came on campus for 9 months and then made a million dollars more, would He?’ “

And Moses’ teammates rallied to the cause.  John Lucas, Maryland’s star point guard, knew how special Moses would be at Maryland.  At that time, the players received $15  a month for laundry money.  Lucas organized the other players and each agreed to donate their $15 a month to Moses.

“It shows you the kind of leader we had in Lucas.  It was a nice gesture but it didn’t quite add up to enough.”

In the end, nothing could keep Moses on campus.  One day before classes started, Moses Malone announced he would be signing with the Utah Stars of the ABA for a guarantee of $1,000,000 a year.  That’s a lot of quarters for the washing machine.

“Lefty” was disappointed to lose Moses as a player.  But happy for him as a person.  And he still had his best interests at heart.

“I wanted Moses to get some kind of education.  I had them put in the contract that he would earn $10,000 for every college credit he earned.  Moses wasn’t a bad student and I wanted him to work on it.”

That was the type of special relationship they had.  And it lasted for Moses’ entire life.  They stayed close.  They spent time together.  Every year, Moses would play in the NBA Charity Golf Tournament down in Norfolk, VA so he could see “Lefty”.  In 2015, Moses Malone flew down to Norfolk to be with his old coach.  But he suffered a heart attack and died in his hotel room the night before the golf tournament.

“Lefty” was crushed.  Moses was like family.  And it was the second time he had tragically lost one of his best players and closest relationships.

 

UNITED STATES – MARCH 11: Coll, Basketball: ACC playoffs, Maryland coach Lefty Driesell victorious, hugging Len Bias after game vs Duke, Greensboro, NC 3/11/1984 (Photo by Jerry Wachter/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X29724 TK4)

Tragedy and Resilience

Despite losing Moses Malone to the ABA, the Maryland Terrapins had a great season in 1974-’75, winning the ACC regular season title and finishing 5th in the country, before getting knocked out in the Final 8 of the NCAA Tournament by Louisville. On a personal note, “Lefty” Driesell won his first ACC Coach of the Year Award, named after his old friend and would-be coach, Gerry Gerard.   Oh what a season it could have been with Moses!

And Lefty’s career at Maryland continued down that same road of consistent success.  The Terrapins would appear in the Associated Press Final Top 10 in five out of the next eleven seasons.  “Lefty” would win another Gerry Gerard Award in 1980, along with another ACC Regular Season Title.  And he would go on to win his first ACC Conference Tournament Championship in 1984.  And in the 1985-’86 season, “Lefty” would coach arguably the greatest player in Maryland Terrapin basketball history.  Len Bias.

“Leonard Bias was just like Moses Malone.  He was a strong Christian man.  I loved him like a son.”

Len Bias dominated college basketball in 1986.  He averaged over 23 points a game for the Terrapins en route to capturing his second ACC Player of the Year Award as well as his second All-America Award.  He was also only the third player from the University of Maryland to win the ACC Athlete of the Year Award (behind John Lucas and Ronaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah).  And in the 1986 NBA Draft, Lefty’s old friend and hero, Red Auerbach, now General Manager of the Boston Celtics, selected Len Bias with the 2nd overall pick.  It was a dream come true.

But on the morning of June 19, 1986, that dream turned into a nightmare.  Just two days after the Celtics selected him with the 2nd pick in the NBA Draft, Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose.  Those of a certain age in the Washington, DC area will never forget where they were when they heard the news.  Shock. Anger. Grief.  A tragedy beyond words. 

“I cried hard that morning.  For Leonard.  For his family.”

And it just didn’t make sense.

“My son Chuck roomed with Leonard and never saw him involved with drugs.  Players to this day swear he wasn’t into drugs of any kind.  He just made a terrible mistake that night.”  

There was a heart-breaking human tragedy to the story.  But there was also an investigation to satisfy.  “Lefty” was cleared by a Grand Jury of any wrongdoing, but there were still changes coming.

“Lefty” Driesell had built up the Maryland Terrapin Basketball program into a perennial contender.  He had done it with class, and character and flair.   He had just been rewarded with a 10-year contract to stay at Maryland.  And now, in the wake of Len Bias’ death, it was all over.  “Lefty” Driesell was re-assigned from his head coaching position and named Assistant Athletic Director at the conclusion of the investigation.

“Lefty” was still reeling from the personal shock of losing someone so close to him.  And now he had to endure this further professional blow.

“Len Bias was a great, great young man.  It was just a tragic accident.  That’s all I’m gonna say about that.” 

While the University of Maryland named “Lefty” a tenured professor, he was no longer doing what he loved.  “Lefty” served as Assistant Athletic Director at Maryland for the next two years.  And he credits his lawyer, Edward Bennett Williams, and assistant Lon Babby, with enforcing Maryland’s 10-year contract.

“Maryland paid me every dime of that contract for the whole ten years.  If I had done something wrong, they never would have had to pay me.” 

Financially, that contract helped “Lefty”.  But personally and professionally, he was still suffering.  He had lost Len Bias.  He had lost his coaching job.  He needed to get back to doing what he was born to do.

It was time to stay resilient.

(Photo Courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics)

“I Know How to Coach”

Those two years at The University of Maryland without coaching were difficult for “Lefty”.  He had his rock in Joyce.  He had his faith.  He had his family.  But coaching was his passion.  There was still a lot of fuel left in that coaching tank!

Fortunately, James Madison University, in tiny Harrisonburg, Virginia, gave “Lefty” a third chance to build another program.  And he made the most of his opportunity!  In 1988, Left Driesell took over a team that went 10-18 the year before, and led them to a winning record.  The James Madison Dukes, under Lefty’s leadership, went on to win five regular season Colonial Athletic Association titles in a row, including a Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 1994.

How did “Lefty” do it?  How did he take a third beleaguered program and lead them back to prominence?

“Look, I know how to coach.  I understand the fundamentals.  And I felt like I could win anywhere!”

Amen, “Lefty”.

And was there any special coaching philosophy or strategy that helped “Lefty” achieve such consistent success?

“It’s pretty simple, really.  We always ran a double post.  Played man-for-man defense.  And loved to fast break. And I taught my players to NEVER switch on a pick.   Too many excuses when you switch!”

“Lefty” never wanted to hear excuses.  Not for his players and not for himself.  You either won or you lost.  And winning was a lot more satisfying.

After nine seasons at JMU, “Lefty” still had a lot left in his tank.  But he needed a change of scenery.  And tiny Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA needed a fiery coach to help rebuild their program.  “Lefty” Driesell was the perfect fit.  Of course, Joyce cried when they left Harrisonburg.  But she cried every time “Lefty” took his talents to another college town.

“Lefty” worked his magic for one more program.  In Lefty’s first year at Georgia State, in the 1997-’98 season, he coached the team to a regular-season conference championship.  In the 2000-’01 season, he led Georgia State to a TAAC Conference Tournament Championship and their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in program history, over heavily-favored Wisconsin (Wisconsin had advanced to The Final Four the previous year.)  Ironically, Georgia State would go on to lose to the Maryland Terrapins in the Second Round.

Coach “Lefty” Driesell  had persevered and battled back from the highs and lows of his career at The University of Maryland.  And he had miraculously brought a fourth NCAA basketball program back to national prominence.  Now that is resilience!

But, by the end of 2002, Lefty’s coaching tank was finally running on empty.

“Red Auerbach told me that he knew it would be time to stop coaching when he no longer wanted to put on his shoes for practice.”

On New Year’s Day, January 1, 2003, “Lefty” was recovering from a bad cold.  He went to lace up his shoes for practice that morning but something felt different.

“I didn’t feel like putting my shoes on.  I had been working since I was 22 years old and I was now 70.  That’s way more years than I would have worked at The Ford Motor Company!”

And just like that, the greatest program builder in college basketball history walked away from the game.  Two seasons coaching at the Junior Varsity level in high school football and one year in basketball.  Four seasons coaching at the Varsity level in high school basketball with a total record of 100 wins to only 14 losses.  And forty-one seasons coaching at four different Division I collegiate basketball programs, with 786 total wins.

Yeah, I’d say “Lefty” knew how to coach.

SPRINGFIELD, MA – SEPTEMBER 07: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018 enshrinee Charles Grice ‘Lefty’ Driesell speaks during the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on September 7, 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

“Lefty”’s Legacy

Lefty Driesell had been inducted into 14 different “Hall of Fames” over the course of his lifetime.  But on September 7, 2018, Charles “Lefty” Driesell received the biggest honor of all with his 15th induction.  He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the gold standard for the sport of basketball.  It was an incredible honor for a man who had dedicated himself to consistent excellence in his sport.

And for a man who normally deflects personal honors, the induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame provided a rare display of raw emotion.

“I was elated, just elated, when I first heard the news.  It is such a great honor.  Had I ever won a National Championship, this would have been even bigger!”

“Lefty” had to wait a long time for this induction ceremony.  But there isn’t even a trace of bitterness in his voice.  Just pure joy.

And his acceptance speech and celebration was vintage ““Lefty””.  He had twenty-two family members in attendance, including his children, spouses, grandchildren, and, of course, Joyce.  And if you include former players and colleagues, he had over a hundred people on hand to witness the great honor.

He spoke from the heart.  He spoke with passion.  And of course, he spoke with character and humor.

And who did he have introduce him for the ceremony?  Three great college coaches who helped “Lefty” along his journey.

“George Raveling was my assistant at Maryland and really helped me build the program.  John Thompson was a competitor who became my friend and was a spokesperson for me for the Naismith Hall of Fame.  And Mike Krzyzewski was always a good friend and I wanted someone representing Duke, since I played there. ” 

And there it is.  A lifetime dedicated to a sport.  An incredible moment for a great coach.

But does “Lefty” ever sulk about the past?  Any empty feeling of never winning a National Championship?

“I heard [former Virginia Tech Football Coach] Frank Beamer give a speech about regret over never winning a National Championship.  But I don’t sit around stewing about that.  One game doesn’t take away from all the great moments along the way.”

Any regret over those near misses and agonizing losses?  What if Charlie Scott had missed that jump shot?  What if Maryland had beaten NC State?  What if Moses Malone had played in College Park?  What could he have done at Maryland had Len Bias not tragically died?

“Of course I wanted to win.  The losses hurt.  But I am a practicing Christian man.  And I believe it is ‘THY will be done, not MY will be done’.  That really helped me.”

His faith helped him then.  His faith helps him now.

And how does he want to be remembered?

“As a strong Christian who never cheated to win.  I just don’t see how you can get satisfaction by cheating.  Not even in golf!”

And what about family?

“I married the right woman.  Joyce is my MVP and that made all the difference.  And I have four great kids and the grandchildren to prove it.”

“Lefty” Driesell made it to the pinnacle of the basketball profession with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  But that is not the whole story.  He has his faith.  He has his family.  And he will always have the incredible memories of basketball.

(Photo Courtesy of Dave Kindred)

“Lefty” Today

On December 14, 2018, “Lefty” and Joyce celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary.  And on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2018, “Lefty” celebrated his 87th birthday.  He is still going strong after all these years.

And one look at his home office tells you about the passion he still has for his teams and his players.

“[Durham High School Basketball Coach] Paul Williamson told me to save a picture of every team I coached.  So I did!”

Forty-five team pictures representing a lifetime of memories and special moments.  And a lifetime of bonds between player and coach.  Now that is leaving a legacy.

And what does he do to keep himself busy these days?

“I still love watching basketball.  But mostly I just go to the doctor’s office!”

The sense of humor is still there.  And so is his love for the game of basketball.  A love he has instilled in the next generation of his family.

His son Chuck Driesell, who played for “Lefty” at Maryland, and coached with him at James Madison, now coaches an outstanding high school basketball program at The Maret School in Washington, DC.  His grandson, Ty Anderson, also coaches high school basketball at powerhouse Holy Spirit Prep in Atlanta.  And two of his other grandsons, Patrick Moynihan and his brother Michael Moynihan, are assistant college basketball coaches at Presbyterian and UNC-Asheville respectively.  Yes, they can all coach. They had a pretty good mentor.

And who does Lefty root for in basketball?

“I root for ten teams!  The schools I played for [Duke and Granby], the four I coached at the collegiate level [Davidson, Maryland, JMU, and Georgia State] and the four schools coached by my son and grandsons!”

The passion is still there.  The faith is still there.  The love for the game and his family are still there.  “Lefty” Driesell retired from coaching sixteen years ago.  But there is still a lot of gas left in that tank!

(Photo Courtesy of Lefty Driesell)

What Does It Mean For Us?

What does Lefty’s remarkable life story mean for us?  It’s all about resilience.

How many of us have the courage to rely on our passion to make a living?

How many of us appreciate all the people who made our success possible?

How many of us have the resilience to bounce back from a setback or tragedy?

How many of us get stuck on feeling like a victim instead of moving on to our next challenge?

How many of us have the perseverance to keep building and re-building our legacy?

And how many of us stand by our faith and family in the most difficult times?

“Lefty” Driesell pushed through his challenging and tragic moments and achieved great personal and professional success over the course of his lifetime.

Basketball is Lefty’s passion.   What is our passion?  What motivates us?  What drives us?  What inspires us?  Whatever it is, we need to persevere.  We need to stay focused and hungry.  We need to be prepared to overcome incredible obstacles.  And we have to understand that we can’t do it alone.  We need our faith. We need our family.  And we need to stay resilient.

Thank you, Coach, for showing us the path to a resilient life.