By Allison M. Strickland
Denny Crum, 1994 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and former U of L head basketball coach, was honored in a ceremony at the Indianapolis NCAA Hall of Champions on Feb. 11. Crum led the team to two national championship titles in his 30 years at U of L. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Cardinals’ 1980 win.
The U of L Alumni Association and the Indianapolis Alumni Club hosted the celebration, reception, book signing and Hall of Fame tours. Crum retired in 2001.
“Since the 1980 NCAA Championship was the first for me as a head coach, it will always hold a special place in my heart,” said Crum. “We had a group of unselfish guys who gave their all and even though we started one freshman, three sophomores and one senior, we had a world of confidence in each other and got better and better as the season progressed.”
Crum played basketball at UCLA in the 1950s under coach John Wooden. After graduation, he served as a graduate assistant for Wooden from 1959-61. He returned to work for Wooden from 1968-71. UCLA won three national championships while he was there.
Incidentally, U of L defeated UCLA to snag the 1980 national championship.
Under Crum, U of L also won the 1986 NCAA title, and played in the Final Four in 1972, 1975, 1982 and 1983. Between 1987 and 1997, Crum led the Cardinals to seven 20-season wins. His 674 career victories rank 14th in Division I-A history.
Players that Crum has coached include Darrell Griffith, Junior Bridgeman, Billy Thompson, Lancaster Gordon and Pervis Ellison. Crum has coached 28 players who went on to play in the NBA.
Crum said the 1980 NCAA win came with a lot of teamwork. “The younger players drew their strength from Darrell Griffith and Tony Branch and played way beyond their years of experience,” he said.
“What a wonderful experience to reflect on.”
