George Raveling facts for kids
circa 1971
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| Biographical details | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 27, 1937 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1957–1960 | Villanova | ||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1969 | Villanova (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1969–1972 | Maryland (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1983 | Washington State | ||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1986 | Iowa | ||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1994 | USC | ||||||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||
| Overall | 336–292 (.535) | ||||||||||||||||
| Tournaments | 2–6 (NCAA Division I) 2–2 (NIT) |
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| Accomplishments and honors | |||||||||||||||||
| Awards | |||||||||||||||||
| NABC Coach of the Year (1992) 3× Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1976, 1983, 1992) John Bunn Award (2013) |
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| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2015 |
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| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2013 |
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Medal record
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George Henry Raveling (born June 27, 1937) is a famous American former college basketball player and coach. He played basketball for Villanova University. Later, he became a head coach for several college teams. These included Washington State University (from 1972 to 1983). He also coached the University of Iowa (1983–1986). His last coaching job was at the University of Southern California (1986–1994).
After he stopped coaching in 1994, Raveling started working for Nike. He became their global director for basketball sports marketing. He is also a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a very special honor in basketball.
A recent film called Air was made about Nike's deal with Michael Jordan. This deal led to the famous Air Jordan shoe brand. In the movie, actor Marlon Wayans plays George Raveling.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
George Raveling was born and grew up in Washington, D.C.. He did not start playing basketball until he was in ninth grade. He went to a Catholic boarding school called St. Michael's in Pennsylvania. His grandmother's boss helped him get into the school.
George faced challenges early in life. His father passed away when he was nine years old. His mother needed special care when he was thirteen. Because of this, school and learning became very important to him.
College Career and First Coaching Jobs
Raveling went to Villanova University in Pennsylvania for college. He played basketball for the Wildcats team. He was known for being a great rebounder. He even set new school records for rebounds in a single game and a whole season.
In his final year, Raveling was the team captain. He helped the Wildcats play in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) two years in a row. After college, the Philadelphia Warriors picked him in the 1960 NBA draft.
Later, Raveling became an assistant coach at Villanova. Then, in 1969, he moved to Maryland. He became the first African American coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
A Historic Moment: The "I Have a Dream" Speech
On August 28, 1963, George Raveling was part of a huge event. He was at the "March on Washington" in Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech that day.
Raveling was on the stage with Dr. King. He had volunteered to help with security for the event. After the speech, Dr. King handed Raveling the original typewritten pages of his speech. Raveling kept these historic pages for many years.
In 2013, he was offered a lot of money for the speech, but he said no. In 2021, he gave the speech to Villanova University. It is now on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Becoming a Head Coach
Leading the Washington State Cougars (1972–1983)
In April 1972, George Raveling became the head coach at Washington State University. He was the first African-American basketball coach in the Pac-8 Conference (now called the Pac-12). He coached the Cougars for eleven years, until 1983.
During his time at Washington State, his teams made it to the NCAA tournament twice. This was a big deal because it was the first time since 1941 that WSU had been in the NCAA tournament. Raveling had a winning record of 167 wins and 136 losses. His teams had seven winning seasons.
Some of his best players at Washington State included James Donaldson and Craig Ehlo. Both of them went on to play in the NBA. Raveling was named Pac-8 Coach of the Year in 1976 and Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1983.
Coaching the Iowa Hawkeyes (1983–1986)
In April 1983, Raveling became the head coach at the University of Iowa. He led the Hawkeyes to two seasons with 20 or more wins. His teams also made it to the NCAA tournament in 1985 and 1986.
Assistant Coach for the 1984 Olympics
In 1984, Raveling was an assistant coach for the USA Olympic team in Los Angeles. This team was made up of college players. Michael Jordan was one of the players on that team. The U.S. team won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics.
Many of the players Raveling coached at Iowa later played in the NBA. These included B. J. Armstrong, Kevin Gamble, and Roy Marble.
Coaching the USC Trojans (1986–1994)
In March 1986, Raveling moved back to the Pac-10 conference. He became the head coach for the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.
Some players who were already at USC decided to transfer to other schools after Raveling became coach. This included Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble. They transferred to Loyola Marymount.
During Raveling's time at USC, the Trojans played in the NCAA tournament in 1991 and 1992. They also competed in the NIT in 1993 and 1994. Raveling received several awards while coaching at USC. He was named Kodak National Coach of the Year in 1992.
Car Accident and Retirement (1994)
On September 25, 1994, George Raveling was in a serious car accident in Los Angeles. He was badly hurt, with many broken bones and a collapsed lung. He spent two weeks in intensive care. Because of his injuries and the long recovery ahead, he decided to retire from coaching. He was 57 years old when he retired on November 14, 1994.
After Coaching
After retiring from coaching, Raveling started working for Nike. He became their Director for International Basketball. He has also written two books about basketball rebounding drills. He has worked as a sports commentator for CBS Sports and FOX Sports Net.
George Raveling still has the original "I Have a Dream" speech given to him by Martin Luther King Jr.. In 2018, he was chosen to be one of the presenters for coach Lefty Driesell when Driesell was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Awards and Recognition
George Raveling has received many important awards for his contributions to basketball:
- In 2013, he received the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- He was also honored with the Lapchick award in 2013.
- Raveling was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
- On February 14, 2015, it was announced that George Raveling would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is one of the highest honors in basketball.
Head Coaching Record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State Cougars (Pacific-8 / 10 Conference) (1972–1983) | |||||||||
| 1972–73 | Washington State | 6–20 | 2–12 | 8th | |||||
| 1973–74 | Washington State | 8–21 | 3–11 | T–7th | |||||
| 1974–75 | Washington State | 10–16 | 1–13 | 8th | |||||
| 1975–76 | Washington State | 19–7 | 9–5 | 4th | |||||
| 1976–77 | Washington State | 19–8 | 8–6 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1977–78 | Washington State | 16–11 | 7–7 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1978–79 | Washington State | 18–9 | 10–8 | T–4th | |||||
| 1979–80 | Washington State | 22–6 | 14–4 | 3rd | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1980–81 | Washington State | 10–17 | 3–15 | 10th | |||||
| 1981–82 | Washington State | 16–14 | 10–8 | 5th | |||||
| 1982–83 | Washington State | 23–7 | 14–4 | 3rd | NCAA Division I second round | ||||
| Washington State: | 167–136 (.551) | 76–66 (.535) | |||||||
| Iowa Hawkeyes (Big Ten Conference) (1984–1986) | |||||||||
| 1983–84 | Iowa | 13–15 | 6–12 | T–7th | |||||
| 1984–85 | Iowa | 21–11 | 10–8 | 5th | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1985–86 | Iowa | 20–12 | 10–8 | 6th | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| Iowa: | 54–38 (.587) | 26–28 (.481) | |||||||
| USC Trojans (Pacific-10 Conference) (1987–1994) | |||||||||
| 1986–87 | USC | 9–19 | 4–14 | 10th | |||||
| 1987–88 | USC | 7–21 | 5–13 | T–8th | |||||
| 1988–89 | USC | 10–22 | 2–16 | 10th | |||||
| 1989–90 | USC | 12–16 | 6–12 | T–7th | |||||
| 1990–91 | USC | 19–10 | 10–8 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1991–92 | USC | 24–6 | 15–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I second round | ||||
| 1992–93 | USC | 18–12 | 9–9 | T–5th | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1993–94 | USC | 16–12 | 9–9 | 7th | NIT first round | ||||
| USC: | 115–118 (.494) | 55–70 (.440) | |||||||
| Total: | 336–292 (.535) | ||||||||
See also
In Spanish: George Raveling para niños
