Former L.A. Pierce student-athlete and coach, and Louisville legend Denny Crum passes away

From L.A. Pierce Athletics
"It's with a heavy heart that the Pierce Athletic Department announces the passing of Denny Crum, a 2010 inductee into our Athletic Hall of Fame.  Denny played basketball at Pierce from 1954-1956, then on to UCLA for 2 years before returning to Pierce as men's head basketball coach from 1961-1967.  In 1968 he returned to UCLA as John Wooden's top assistant coach.  During his time there the Bruins won 3 NCAA Championships. In 1971 Coach Crum became head coach at The University of Louisville.  From 1971-2001 his teams appeared in 6 final fours, winning 2 NCAA Championships in 1980 and 1986.  His teams had a record of 675-295. He was National Coach of The Year 3 times and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994. Pierce Athletics has a saying that 'Brahmas are Rare People'.  Denny Crum was the RAREST of us all."

From ESPN.com
Denny Crum, the Hall of Fame college basketball coach who led Louisville to two national championships in the 1980s, died Tuesday at the age of 86.

Crum played college basketball under John Wooden at UCLA in the late 1950s, then joined the Bruins' staff as an assistant under Wooden, helping the program to three national titles during his time there. Louisville hired the California native as its coach in 1971, and the program rose to national prominence under his watch.

Crum led the Cardinals to the Final Four six times -- winning national titles in 1980 and '86 -- and made the NCAA tournament 23 times in his 30 seasons. He oversaw Louisville's move from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Metro Conference to Conference USA, and his teams won 15 regular-season conference championships across the two different leagues.

In 1993, Crum became the second-fastest coach to win 500 games. Nicknamed "Cool Hand Luke" for his calm demeanor, he had a 675-295 mark at Louisville before retiring in 2001.

"They don't make them like Coach anymore. Coach Crum was the type of coach that everybody gravitated to," former Louisville star Darrell Griffith told WDRB in 2022. "He was just so personable. ... He opened up this program to the city. Everybody was welcome. People feel that."

Crum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994. Some 25 years later, he was one of six coaches to be honored with a commemorative bench around a statue of Dr. James Naismith outside the Springfield, Massachusetts-based hall. Naismith officials said the recognition was for a group that exemplified the values of the hall's namesake: teamwork, determination, self-respect, leadership, initiative and perseverance.

Current Louisville coach Kenny Payne, who played for Crum from 1985-89, expressed prayers for Crum's family and called his former coach a true treasure who gave so much to the school and community.

"Today is a sad day for me personally, as well as the basketball world," Payne said in a statement. "My thoughts go through all the lessons that he taught, not just to me, but every player he ever came in contact with. ... Rest in peace, Coach. You touched so many. Well done."

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