Lefty Driesell

Lefty Driesell (1931-2024)

Teams coached: Davidson Wildcats, Maryland Terrapins, James Madison Dukes, Georgia State Panthers
Davidson record: 176-65 (.730)
Maryland record: 348-159 (.686)
James Madison record: 159-111 (.589)
Georgia State record: 103-59 (.636)
Overall record: 786-394 (.666)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  13  (1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1994, 2001)
• NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  8  (1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1980, 1984, 1985)
• NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
• NIT Championships:  1  (1972)
• NIT Appearances:  8  (1972, 1979, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2002)
• Atlantic Sun Regular Season Champion:  4  (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002)   
• CAA Regular Season Champion:  5  (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
• ACC Regular Season Champion:  2  (1975, 1980)
• SoCon Regular Season Champion:  5  (1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)
• Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion:  1  (2001)   
• CAA Tournament Champion:  1  (1994)
• ACC Tournament Champion:  1  (1984)
• SoCon Tournament Champion:  3  (1966, 1968, 1969)

Awards:

• Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year:  1  (2001)
• CAA Coach of the Year:  2  (1990, 1992)
• ACC Coach of the Year:  2  (1975, 1980)
• SoCon Coach of the Year:  4  (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)
• NABC Golden Anniversary Award (2003)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2018)
• National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2007)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1997-2003	Georgia State
1988-1996	James Madison
1969-1986	Maryland
1960-1969	Davidson

Lefty Driesell Facts

• Charles Grice Driesell
• Born December 25, 1931
• Died February 17, 2024
• Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
• Alma Mater: Duke University (BA, 1954)
• Starred at Granby HS in Norfolk, VA, helping lead the school to a Virginia State Championship
  • Went on to play four seasons at Duke under head coach Harold Bradley; one of his teammates was future UConn coach Fred Shabel
  • Played semi-pro basketball after graduating from Duke in 1954 before getting into coaching
• Started his coaching career at his alma mater Granby HS, first as JV head coach (one year) and then as varsity coach (one year)
• Spent two seasons at Newport News HS (VA), a tenure that included a 57-game winning streak, before getting the Davidson job
  • Won 176 games in nine years, leading the Wildcats to three NCAA Tournaments (one Sweet Sixteen & two Elite Eights)
• Left for Maryland in 1969, where he would lead the Terrapins basketball program for the next seventeen years
  • Won 348 games, two ACC titles and one ACC Tournament, taking the Terps to the postseason eleven times (eight NCAA, three NIT)
  • Served as assistant athletic director at Maryland for two years (1986-88)
  • Inducted into the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002
• Got back into coaching in 1988, spending the next nine years as head coach at James Madison
  • Won 159 games and went to one NCAA Tournament and four NITs
• Finished his coaching career at Georgia State, winning 103 games there before retiring in January 2003; that was his sixth season at Georgia State and 41st as a collegiate head coach
• Since 2009, the Lefty Driesell Award has been given to the best defensive player in NCAA Division I basketball
• Along with his late wife, Joyce, had four children
  • One son, Chuck Driesell, has also spent time coaching basketball at the high school and collegiate levels
  • Joyce passed away in 2021; in February 2024, Lefty passed away at the age of 92

Lefty Driesell Coaching Tree

• Tom Abatemarco (Sacramento State, Drake, Lamar)
• Kevin Baggett (Rider)
• Bart Bellairs (VMI, Wilkes)
• Kenny Blakeney (Howard)
• Rob Bradley (Radford)
• Gale Catlett (West Virginia, Cincinnati)
• Bobby Champagne (North Alabama)
• Phil Cunningham (Troy)
• Dave Dickerson (USC Upstate, Tulane)
• Sherman Dillard (James Madison, Indiana State)
• Chuck Driesell (The Citadel, Marymount)
• Dwight Freeman (Norfolk State)
• Billy Hahn (La Salle, Ohio)
• Joe Harrington (Colorado, Long Beach State, George Mason, Hofstra)
• Terry Holland (Virginia, Davidson)
• Wil Jones (Norfolk State, District of Columbia)
• David Laton (West Georgia)
• John Lucas II (Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs)
• Warren Mitchell (William & Mary)
• Jim O’Brien (Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Dayton, Wheeling Jesuit)
• Michael Perry (East Carolina, Georgia State)
• Oliver Purnell (DePaul, Clemson, Dayton, Old Dominion, Radford)
• George Raveling (USC, Iowa, Washington State)
• Louis Rowe (James Madison)
• Travis Williams (Tennessee State, Fort Valley State)
• Dave Wojcik (San Jose State)

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA level only