“Rest in Peace”: NCAA World Comes Together to Mourn the Passing of Maryland’s Legendary Coach

The news of Charles Grice “Lefty” Driesell’s passing away has left everyone in tears. His death has left a major void in college basketball circuit. The grievers are recalling the legend for coaching for a humongous 41 seasons and making stops at the Davidson, Maryland, James Madison and Georgia State. He took all the four colleges to NCAA tournaments, apart from helping Maryland and Davidson to Elite Eight two times each.

As per Pilot Online, his health had been a cause of concern ever since his wife, Joyce’s death. Driesell was 92 and was at his Virignia Beach home when he passed away this Saturday. His former mentee Tom McMillen announced the news of his demise on social media which had wishes pouring in from all around the world. “I am deeply saddened to share that Coach Lefty Driesell passed away this morning. He was a legend both on and off the court and instrumental in my life. I am grateful that we shared some time together a couple weeks ago. We will miss him dearly,” McMillen tweeted.

Driesell’s contribution to basketball is such that he also has an award named after him – the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award which was established in 2010. Driesell had made a name for himself, especially with his spectacular voice, and a comedic style of storytelling. He was given his due of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 when was 86 years old. He marked his presence at the event accompanied by noteworthy coaches namely Mike Krzyzewski, John Thompson, and George Raveling. His speech that day will always come to the mind of his fans whenever they recall his memories. 

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It was Driesell who started the tradition of  “Midnight Madness” that has garnered so much relevance in today’s time of basketball. It is seen as a perfect opportunity for teams to interact with their fans and have a pep rally. Hence, it was quite normal for condolences from around the world to pour in.

How did the Fans react?

One user remembered the times when the departed gave nail-biting contests: “Rip-sad to hear. His contests with UNC & NC St in Thompson era were classics.” Another remembered Driesell for his fabulous coaching era: “Thanks for sharing. He represented an entire era of NCAA sports history unlike any other.” 

One fan seemed to be at a loss for words as he remarked: “Rest in peace Lefty.” Thus the entire social media was flooded with sympathetic messages for Driesell and his family.

One fan reminisced the time when he got to meet the coach “RIP Lefty! Was great to meet him when I attended the Maryland basketball camp,” while other gave his wishes to the family in such harsh times “Condolences to the Driesell Family. 🙏🏼❤️”

One fan also called him the “Coach of “UCLA of the East,”” others also remarked that it was a “Sad day – RIP Legend.” One fan also acknowledged how Driesell was famous for being a left-hander,“He and your teams made me fall in love with the game. RIP to the Lefthander.”

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