Corridor of Fame basketball coach George Raveling died at age 88, his household introduced in a social media publish. Raveling was surrounded by household on the time of his passing after battling most cancers. The Washington, D.C., native performed basketball at Villanova from 1957-60, and after a collegiate profession the place he helped lead the Wildcats to 2 NIT appearances, he turned an assistant coach for Villanova from 1963-69.
Raveling coached as an assistant at Maryland earlier than touchdown his first head coach place at Washington State for practically a decade within the early 70s. He additionally coached at Iowa and eventually USC, the place he earned NABC Coach of he 12 months honors in 1992 whereas teaching the Trojans. Throughout his time with USC, Raveling earned Pac-10 Coach of the 12 months thrice. Over his 22 years as a head coach he amassed a 336-292 report, and earned induction into the School Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2013.
“It’s with deep unhappiness and unimaginable ache that we share the passing of our beloved ‘Coach,’ George Henry Raveling, who confronted most cancers with braveness and style,” his household introduced. “He transitioned peacefully at 88, encompass by household in addition to love, religion and sacred safety. There are not any phrases to completely seize what George meant to his household, buddies, colleagues, former gamers, and assistants — and to the world. He shall be profoundly missed, but his aura vitality, divine presence, and timeless knowledge stay on in all these he touched and reworked.”
Raveling additionally served as an assistant coach on the 1984 Olympics for Staff USA, the place he coached Michael Jordan on the best way to a gold medal. Raveling performed an integral half in Jordan constructing a sneaker empire, as he launched former Nike govt Sonny Vaccaro to Jordan in an effort to get him to signal with the sportswear model. Jordan credit Raveling as the important thing motive he signed with Nike over a number of different manufacturers that wished him, saying in 2015, “… Sonny (Vaccaro) likes to take the credit score, nevertheless it actually wasn’t Sonny, it was really George Raveling. … Once I obtained an opportunity to play within the Olympics, I turned superb buddies with George Raveling. He is the one, in all truthfully, that actually persuaded me to have a look at Nike, as a result of I wasn’t prepared to have a look at Nike.”
After retirement from teaching in 1994, Raveling served because the director for worldwide basketball at Nike.
Other than being an vital determine within the basketball world, Raveling was additionally current for a key piece in American historical past as he served as safety for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through the March on Washington in 1963. Raveling was on stage as Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech and had the unique typewritten copy of the speech after asking Dr. King for it. The speech is on show on the Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition in Washington D.C.
