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Denny Crum
Denzel Edwin Crum (March 2, 1937 – May 9, 2023) was an American men's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001, compiling a 675–295 (.696) record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships (1980, 1986) and six Final Fours. Honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1994, Crum was one of the major figures in the history of sports in Kentucky and in college basketball.
Crum played college ball for the UCLA Bruins under head coach John Wooden. He was later an assistant under Wooden, and the Bruins won a national championship in each of his three seasons on the staff. As the head coach at Louisville, Crum was widely credited with pioneering the now-common strategy of scheduling tough non-conference match-ups early in the season in order to prepare his teams for March's NCAA tournament, where one defeat ends the season. Crum's prolific post-season play and calm demeanor earned him the monikers "Mr. March" and his most well-known nickname, "Cool Hand Luke".
Denzel Edwin Crum was born in San Fernando, California, in Los Angeles County. After graduating from San Fernando High School in 1955, he played basketball at Los Angeles Pierce College from 1955 to 1957, averaging 27 points per game in his first season. He then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to play for the UCLA Bruins. Playing as a guard at UCLA (1957–1959), Crum averaged seven points per game. He was honored with the Irv Pohlmeyer Memorial Trophy for outstanding first-year varsity player. He also received the Bruin Bench Award for most improved player the following year. The Bruins went 38–14 in his two seasons.
After graduating in 1959, Crum served as the freshman basketball coach at UCLA. In 1961, he returned to Pierce College as an assistant coach and served as their head coach from 1964 through 1968. Crum was then rehired by UCLA to replace assistant coach Jerry Norman, and became John Wooden's top assistant coach and chief recruiter. Crum took a $3,000 pay cut from UCLA compared to his earnings at Pierce. The Bruins won national titles in each of his three seasons while compiling an 86–4 record. His recruits included Bill Walton, one of the greatest college basketball players ever.
In 1971, Crum was hired as head coach by the University of Louisville, taking over for John Dromo, but he left UCLA thinking he would return one day to succeed Wooden. Although the Cardinals had substantial national success under former coach Bernard "Peck" Hickman, their last NCAA tournament appearance was in 1968 and Final Four in 1959; they had never won a national championship. In his first season, Crum led Louisville to the Final Four, where they lost to Wooden's UCLA team.
The Cardinals reached the Final Four again in 1975, losing once more to UCLA. Wooden retired following the tournament after winning his 10th national title. Crum declined the opportunity to replace his mentor at UCLA. Two years later, he turned down the job again after Wooden's successor, Gene Bartow, left for UAB. UCLA's salary offer was around half of what Louisville was paying him, and even less when he factored in the higher cost of living in Los Angeles. Crum said life in Louisville was "more relaxed and it's not a hassle to do everything". He led the Cardinals to four more Final Fours in the 1980s (1980, 1982, 1983, and 1986). Only five other coaches have reached more Final Fours than Crum's six: Wooden, Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, and Tom Izzo.
In 1979–80, national player of the year Darrell Griffith led the Cardinals to a 33–3 record. They defeated Crum's alma mater, UCLA, 59–54, to win the 1980 national championship. That squad was credited with popularizing the High-5. Six years later, Louisville defeated Duke, 72–69, for their second title, led by Pervis Ellison, who became the first freshman to be named the NCAA tournament's most outstanding player. Through his first 15 seasons, Crum won 76% of his games. He received another offer to return to UCLA in 1988, after Walt Hazzard was fired, but he remained at Louisville. In 1993, Crum became the second fastest coach to reach 500 wins.
On his 64th birthday in 2001, Crum announced that he would retire at the end of the season. Though Crum insisted the decision was his, it was widely rumored that Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich drove him out to pursue the newly available Rick Pitino. In the last 15 seasons of his career, Crum's winning percentage fell to 63%, including a 61–61 record in his final four seasons. His only three losing seasons came in his last 11 seasons, including twice in his final four seasons. Nonetheless, he led the Cardinals to four 20-win seasons and eight NCAA tournaments in the 1990s. He retired with a record of 675–295, a 69.6% winning percentage. At the time, his 675 career wins ranked 14th in NCAA history. In 30 seasons, Crum took the Cardinals to 23 NCAA tournaments, the 10th most by a coach, while compiling an overall tournament record of 42–22. The Cardinals won 20 or more games in 21 of his 30 seasons. While in the Metro Conference, they won or shared 12 regular-season titles and won 11 conference tournament championships.
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Denny Crum
Denzel Edwin Crum (March 2, 1937 – May 9, 2023) was an American men's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001, compiling a 675–295 (.696) record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships (1980, 1986) and six Final Fours. Honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1994, Crum was one of the major figures in the history of sports in Kentucky and in college basketball.
Crum played college ball for the UCLA Bruins under head coach John Wooden. He was later an assistant under Wooden, and the Bruins won a national championship in each of his three seasons on the staff. As the head coach at Louisville, Crum was widely credited with pioneering the now-common strategy of scheduling tough non-conference match-ups early in the season in order to prepare his teams for March's NCAA tournament, where one defeat ends the season. Crum's prolific post-season play and calm demeanor earned him the monikers "Mr. March" and his most well-known nickname, "Cool Hand Luke".
Denzel Edwin Crum was born in San Fernando, California, in Los Angeles County. After graduating from San Fernando High School in 1955, he played basketball at Los Angeles Pierce College from 1955 to 1957, averaging 27 points per game in his first season. He then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to play for the UCLA Bruins. Playing as a guard at UCLA (1957–1959), Crum averaged seven points per game. He was honored with the Irv Pohlmeyer Memorial Trophy for outstanding first-year varsity player. He also received the Bruin Bench Award for most improved player the following year. The Bruins went 38–14 in his two seasons.
After graduating in 1959, Crum served as the freshman basketball coach at UCLA. In 1961, he returned to Pierce College as an assistant coach and served as their head coach from 1964 through 1968. Crum was then rehired by UCLA to replace assistant coach Jerry Norman, and became John Wooden's top assistant coach and chief recruiter. Crum took a $3,000 pay cut from UCLA compared to his earnings at Pierce. The Bruins won national titles in each of his three seasons while compiling an 86–4 record. His recruits included Bill Walton, one of the greatest college basketball players ever.
In 1971, Crum was hired as head coach by the University of Louisville, taking over for John Dromo, but he left UCLA thinking he would return one day to succeed Wooden. Although the Cardinals had substantial national success under former coach Bernard "Peck" Hickman, their last NCAA tournament appearance was in 1968 and Final Four in 1959; they had never won a national championship. In his first season, Crum led Louisville to the Final Four, where they lost to Wooden's UCLA team.
The Cardinals reached the Final Four again in 1975, losing once more to UCLA. Wooden retired following the tournament after winning his 10th national title. Crum declined the opportunity to replace his mentor at UCLA. Two years later, he turned down the job again after Wooden's successor, Gene Bartow, left for UAB. UCLA's salary offer was around half of what Louisville was paying him, and even less when he factored in the higher cost of living in Los Angeles. Crum said life in Louisville was "more relaxed and it's not a hassle to do everything". He led the Cardinals to four more Final Fours in the 1980s (1980, 1982, 1983, and 1986). Only five other coaches have reached more Final Fours than Crum's six: Wooden, Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, and Tom Izzo.
In 1979–80, national player of the year Darrell Griffith led the Cardinals to a 33–3 record. They defeated Crum's alma mater, UCLA, 59–54, to win the 1980 national championship. That squad was credited with popularizing the High-5. Six years later, Louisville defeated Duke, 72–69, for their second title, led by Pervis Ellison, who became the first freshman to be named the NCAA tournament's most outstanding player. Through his first 15 seasons, Crum won 76% of his games. He received another offer to return to UCLA in 1988, after Walt Hazzard was fired, but he remained at Louisville. In 1993, Crum became the second fastest coach to reach 500 wins.
On his 64th birthday in 2001, Crum announced that he would retire at the end of the season. Though Crum insisted the decision was his, it was widely rumored that Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich drove him out to pursue the newly available Rick Pitino. In the last 15 seasons of his career, Crum's winning percentage fell to 63%, including a 61–61 record in his final four seasons. His only three losing seasons came in his last 11 seasons, including twice in his final four seasons. Nonetheless, he led the Cardinals to four 20-win seasons and eight NCAA tournaments in the 1990s. He retired with a record of 675–295, a 69.6% winning percentage. At the time, his 675 career wins ranked 14th in NCAA history. In 30 seasons, Crum took the Cardinals to 23 NCAA tournaments, the 10th most by a coach, while compiling an overall tournament record of 42–22. The Cardinals won 20 or more games in 21 of his 30 seasons. While in the Metro Conference, they won or shared 12 regular-season titles and won 11 conference tournament championships.