Sept. 10, 2015
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former University of Iowa head men’s basketball coach George Raveling will be one of 11 notable men and women of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2015 to be honored at this weekend’s Enshrinement Ceremonies in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Class of 2015 will be enshrined at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 11. Joining Raveling will be Dick Bavetta, John Calipari, Louis Dampier, Lindsay Gaze, Spencer Haywood, Tom Heinsohn, John Isaacs, Dikembe Mutombo, Jo Jo White, Lisa Leslie.
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“The Class of 2015 is a group of outstanding individuals who represent many eras and facets of basketball,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board. “Their commitment to the game is undeniable and the impact they have had on others is even greater. We are very pleased to honor this remarkable group of inductees.”
Raveling is the current Director of International Basketball for Nike and a former men’s college basketball coach. He served as an assistant coach at his alma mater Villanova (1963-69) and then Maryland (1970-72) where he helped lead the 1970-71 Terrapins to an undefeated regular season. As a head coach, Raveling led Washington State (1972-83) to two NCAA tournament appearances and Iowa (1983-86) to back-to-back 20-win seasons and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths. He also took USC (1986-94) to two NCAA appearances and was named Kodak National Coach of the Year (1992), Basketball Weekly Coach of the Year (1992), Black Coaches Association Coach of the Year (1992) and CBS/Chevrolet National Coach of the Year (1994).
In 1984 and 1988, Raveling served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic teams. Raveling was the first African-American coach in the ACC and PAC-8 (now the PAC-12). He is not only known for making history by breaking down racial barriers as a coach, but also was a part of history when in 1963 he received the original copy of the Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech.
“It’s been a magical ride, and to have this bestowed upon me at 78 years old is an incredible experience. It’s humbling and it’s certainly appreciated,” said Raveling.
He was honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Former Hawkeye Don Nelson (1959-62) was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
