Jim Valvano
Jim Valvano (1946-1993)
Teams coached: Bucknell Bison, Iona Gaels, NC State Wolfpack
Bucknell record: 33-42 (.440)
Iona record: 94-45 (.676) **
NC State record: 209-110 (.655) **
Overall record^: 346-206 (.627) **
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 1 (1983)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6 (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989) **
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 4 (1983, 1985, 1986, 1989)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (1983)
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1984)
- ACC Regular Season Champion: 2 (1985, 1989)
- ACC Tournament Champion: 2 (1983, 1987)
Awards:
- ACC Coach of the Year: 1 (1987)
- Arthur Ashe Courage Award (1993)
- USBWA Most Courageous Award (1993)
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2023)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
1980-1990 | NC State |
1975-1980 | Iona |
1972-1975 | Bucknell |
1970-1972 | Connecticut (asst) |
1969-1970 | Johns Hopkins |
1967-1969 | Rutgers (asst) |
Jim Valvano Facts
- James Thomas Anthony Valvano
- Born March 10, 1946
- Died April 28, 1993
- Hometown: Queens, New York
- Alma Mater: Rutgers University (BS, 1967)
- Three-sport star athlete at Seaford HS on Long Island, before going on to play point guard at Rutgers under head coach Bill E. Foster
- Started his coaching career as an assistant/freshman coach under Foster at Rutgers, then spent one season as head coach at D-III Johns Hopkins
- Spent two years as an assistant at Connecticut under Dee Rowe before getting the head coaching position at Bucknell
- Went 33-42 in three seasons at Bucknell, then 94-45 (including two trips to the NCAA Tournament) in five years at Iona before becoming the head coach at NC State in 1980
- Won 209 games in ten seasons, the most memorable being the 1983 NCAA Championship victory over the heavily-favored Houston Cougars
- Valvano memorably ran onto the court following the last second buzzer-beater from Lorenzo Charles, desperately looking for someone to hug
- Served as NC State’s athletic director for three years 1986-89 in addition to his role as head basketball coach
- Resigned as AD in 1989, then as head coach in 1990 following a financial and academic scandal within the program
- Though cleared by the NCAA of wrongdoing, he accepted a settlement and resigned under pressure from leadership
- NC State’s 1987 and 1988 NCAA Tournament appearances were vacated, as was the 0-2 record accrued during those appearances
- Worked as a broadcaster for ESPN and ABC Sports following his coaching career and in 1992 was given the Cable ACE Award for Commentator/Analyst on NCAA basketball broadcasts
- Diagnosed in June 1992 with metastatic adenocarcinoma (bone cancer)
- Valvano announced the creation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research on March 3, 1993 during the first ever ESPY Awards, during his acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award
- His speech, which received a standing ovation, is re-played every year during ESPN coverage of college basketball and particularly during Jimmy V Week and the Jimmy V Classic tournament
- Valvano passed away on April 28, 1993, not even two months after his ESPYs speech, following a nearly year-long battle with cancer; he is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, NC
- Survived by his wife, Pamela, and their three daughters
- His younger brother, Bob Valvano, was also a college head coach and now works in sports radio
Jim Valvano Coaching Tree
- Tom Abatemarco (Lamar, Drake, Sacramento State)
- Chucky Brown (Los Angeles D-Fenders)
- Vinny Del Negro (Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls)
- Marty Fletcher (UCCS, Denver, Southwestern Louisiana, VMI)
- Pat Kennedy (Pace, Towson, Montana, DePaul, Florida State, Iona)
- Sidney Lowe (NC State, Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Nate McMillan (Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics)
- Clay Moser (Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Treasure Valley CC, overseas)
- Jeff Ruland (Iona, District of Columbia)
- Dereck Whittenburg (Fordham, Wagner)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the Division I and Division III levels
** Listed accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA