Five memorable moments during Denny Crum’s Hall of Fame college basketball coaching career

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Denny Crum took over the Louisville men’s basketball program in 1971 at 34 years old, and to this day his fingerprints remain all over it.

Hired from a field of 30 applicants, Crum led the Cardinals to six Final Fours and two national championships during his three decades at the helm (1971–2001) and became an icon in the city. The San Fernando, California, native died Tuesday at age 86, U of L said in a statement.

Here’s a look back at five of the most memorable moments of Crum’s Hall of Fame coaching career:

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March 24, 1980: Crum coaches Louisville to NCAA championship, beating his alma mater UCLA

UL’s Denny Crum celebrates the 1980 NCAA championship. Feb. 11, 2000

Darrell Griffith went out with a bang in his last game in a Louisville uniform, scoring 23 points and earning Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after a 59-54 win against Crum’s alma mater, UCLA, for the first NCAA title in program history. The Cardinals trailed the Bruins, led by first-year head coach and future Hall of Famer Larry Brown, 54-50 with 4:12 to play in the second half but stormed in front thanks to Griffith and sophomore Jerry Eaves combining for six straight points.

“It’s a tremendous thrill to win,” Crum, then 43 years old, told reporters after the game. “It’s almost unbelievable that 15 young men would give their coaches no problems of any kind over of six months, on or off the floor.”

Watch the celebration: Louisville’s first national championship team recognized on 40th anniversary

1983: Louisville beats Kentucky in ‘Dream Game,’ reaching back-to-back Final Fours

Gov. John Y. Brown with his UK and U of L hat. Dream Game: U of L vs. UK in NCAA tournament on March 26, 1983. Governor John Y. Brown and his wife Phyllis George Brown greet U of L coach Denny Crum. Game was played in Knoxville Tenn.

Playing against…

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Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2023-05-09 20:39:37

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