Denny Crum, Hall of Fame Louisville Head Basketball Coach, has Died
Denny Crum, the architect of Louisville’s basketball program that won two National Championships in the 1980s, has died. He was 86.
The California native arrived in Louisville in 1971 after spending four years under the tutelage of John Wooden at UCLA. It did not take long for Crum to see success on the court. The Cards went to the Final Four in his first season.
At the dawn of the decade in 1980, Crum had a charismatic homegrown star that rallied the city. Darrell Griffith and the Doctors of Dunk helped bring home a National Championship. Six years later freshman Pervis Ellison proved it wasn’t a fluke, capping off a 6-year run with two titles and four Final Fours.
The former commuter school was finally a formidable foe for college basketball’s bluest blood, Kentucky. Joe B. Hall did not quickly jump at the opportunity to play Crum’s program, despite plenty of direct challenges from the Louisville head coach. It was contentious between the two until they forced to meet in the 1983 NCAA Tournament.
Denny Crum was victorious in overtime of the “Dream Game.” It served as the catalyst to bring the college basketball rivalry to the hardwood every single year. The following season Joe B. got revenge with wins in the regular season and the NCAA Tournament.
The Kentucky-Louisville rivalry would not be one of the fiercest in all of college basketball without Denny Crum.
Despite the early tenuous relationship, Crum and Hall grew up to be dear friends. The two shared their love of sports, both traditional and outdoor, everyday for a decade on “The Joe B. and Denny Show.” The former rivals spent their twilight years serving as representatives of the state who were never too shy to share a kind word with a stranger who typically admired them from afar.
In addition to his work on the court and in the community, the University of Louisville owes a great debt to Crum. Long before Tom Jurich became known for his fierce facility fundraising ability, Crum’s success on the hardwood injected money into the university that provided much-needed infrastructure improvements. According to Eric Crawford, UofL’s athletic budget tripled between 1980-1986 and the school raised over $40 million to revitalize its antiquated facilities.
Denny Crum was a Hall of Fame basketball coach that won 675 games in 30 years. He turned Louisville into a respected logo across the college basketball landscape and cultivated a rivalry that fuels the state. Respected among all his peers, the city of Louisville owes a great debt to one of its best, Denny Crum.
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