Coach Driesell (1969-70 to 1985-86)

Help Save Coach Driesell Era Basketball History Today! 

With a goal of making UMD the “UCLA of the East,” Charles “Lefty” Driesell was hired by the University of Maryland in March 1969. Driesell brought popularity and style to the game with a focus on student engagement and entertainment and helped turn Maryland into a solid Division I contender. He is also known for striding into the arena to the tune of “Hail to the Chief” with a V for Victory sign above his head and starting the nationwide phenomenon known as “Midnight Madness” in 1971.

Driesell led his team to a 1984 ACC Championship win and eight NCAA Tournament appearances, while amassing a record of 348-159.  Between 1969 and 1986, he mentored and developed such outstanding players as Len Bias, Len Elmore, John Lucas, Tom McMillen, Albert King, and Buck Williams.

Driesell’s success on the court led to recognition as the ACC Coach of the Year in 1975 and induction into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (1995), University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame (2002), National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2007), and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2018).

Your gift makes a difference!

It takes $162 to digitize one film reel and $60 to digitize one videotape, and Coach Driesell’s legacy is recorded on 1,094 reels of film and 275 videotapes of game footage. When including the additional cost of preserving and accessing this era of UMD basketball history, our goal is $230,000! Make a gift today, and help us save this important part of university history! Every dollar counts!

Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents.  Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.