Jim Valvano facts for kids
Valvano in 1982
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 10, 1946 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 1993 (aged 47) Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1964–1967 | Rutgers |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1967–1969 | Rutgers (assistant) |
| 1969–1970 | Johns Hopkins |
| 1970–1972 | Connecticut (assistant) |
| 1972–1975 | Bucknell |
| 1975–1980 | Iona |
| 1980–1990 | NC State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1977–1980 | Iona |
| 1986–1989 | NC State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 346–210 |
| Tournaments | 12–8 (NCAA Division I) 0–1 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA Division I tournament (1983) NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (1983) 2 ACC tournament (1983, 1987) 2 ACC regular season (1985, 1989) |
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| Awards | |
| ACC Coach of The Year (1989) Arthur Ashe Courage Award (1993) |
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James Thomas Anthony Valvano (born March 10, 1946 – died April 28, 1993), known as Jimmy V, was an American college basketball player, coach, and sports announcer. He is famous for his exciting coaching style and his inspiring speeches.
Valvano had a very successful career coaching different college teams. His biggest achievement was leading the NC State team to win the 1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship. This was a huge surprise because his team was not expected to win. People remember his joyful celebration after they won the championship game against the strong Houston Cougars.
Jimmy V is also remembered for a powerful speech he gave at the 1993 ESPY Awards. He was very sick with cancer at the time. In his speech, he told everyone to laugh, think, and cry every day. He also announced the start of The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Its motto is "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." He passed away less than two months after this speech. The ESPY Awards now have the Jimmy V Award named after him. Also, a yearly college basketball event called the Jimmy V Classic helps raise money for cancer research.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Jimmy Valvano was born in Corona, Queens, New York. He was the middle child of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. He played three different sports at Seaford High School in Seaford on Long Island. He finished high school in 1963.
A famous football coach named Vince Lombardi was a big role model for Valvano. Jimmy V once shared that he used some of Lombardi's inspiring speeches to motivate his own teams. He even joked about accidentally telling his Rutgers freshman basketball team to "fight for the Green Bay Packers" (Lombardi's team).
College Basketball Player
Valvano played as a point guard for Rutgers University. He played alongside a talented player named Bob Lloyd. In 1967, their team finished third in the 1967 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). This was a big achievement for the team.
He was chosen as the Senior Athlete of the Year at Rutgers in 1967. He graduated that same year with a degree in English.
Coaching Career Highlights
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After college, Valvano started his coaching journey at Rutgers. He was a freshman coach and an assistant for the main team. His career as a head basketball coach lasted 19 years. He coached at several schools, including Johns Hopkins, Bucknell, and Iona.
In 1980, Valvano became the head coach at North Carolina State. He coached the Wolfpack for ten seasons. During his time there, his teams won the ACC tournament in 1983 and 1987. They also won the ACC regular season in 1985 and 1989.
The biggest moment was when the Wolfpack won the NCAA championship in 1983. This was a huge upset victory. Valvano's teams also made it to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1985 and 1986. In 1989, he was named ACC Coach of the Year.
Valvano is most famous for his reaction after the 1983 NCAA finals. His team won with a last-second shot. He ran around the court looking for someone to hug in pure excitement. His overall record at NC State was 209 wins and 114 losses.
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Challenges and Resignation
In 1989, there were some concerns about how players were doing in school. An investigation by the NCAA looked into these issues. The NCAA found that players had sold shoes and game tickets, which was against the rules. As a result, NC State's basketball program was put on probation for two years. They were not allowed to play in the 1990 NCAA tournament.
Another report found that while there were no major rule violations by Valvano or his staff, they didn't keep a close enough eye on the players' schoolwork. After this, Valvano stepped down as the school's athletic director in 1989. He continued coaching for one more season. Then, he resigned as basketball coach in April 1990. Several groups investigated, and none found evidence of recruiting violations or financial wrongdoing by Valvano.
After Coaching Basketball
After leaving coaching, Valvano became a popular sports announcer for ESPN and ABC Sports. He was known for his energetic style. He even appeared on The Cosby Show with fellow announcer Dick Vitale.
Valvano also gave many motivational speeches across the country. He was a guest on famous TV shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Battle with Cancer
In June 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with a type of cancer called metastatic adenocarcinoma. This cancer can spread to the bones.
He gave a very moving speech at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum in February 1993. This was less than two months before he passed away. In this speech, he talked about the importance of hope, love, and never giving up. He shared his famous quote: "Don't give up, don't ever give up."
The ESPY Speech
Just eleven days later, on March 4, 1993, he spoke at the first ESPY Awards. He received the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. During his speech, he announced the creation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research. This organization works to find a cure for cancer. He said the foundation's motto would be "Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up."
He famously joked about the teleprompter telling him he had 30 seconds left. He said, "That screen up there is flashing 30 seconds, like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body and I'm worried about some guy in the back going '30 seconds'".
Valvano shared three important things everyone should do every day:
- Laugh every day.
- Spend time thinking every day.
- Let your emotions move you to tears, whether from happiness or sadness.
He said, "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day." His ESPY speech became very famous. He ended by saying that cancer could not take away his mind, heart, or soul. He received a standing ovation.
His Passing
Jimmy Valvano passed away on April 28, 1993, at the age of 47. This was less than two months after his inspiring ESPY speech. He died at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. It was exactly 10 years after his team won the national championship. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh. His tombstone says: "Take time every day to laugh, to think, to cry."
Lasting Legacy
In 1983, Valvano created the phrase "survive and advance." A TV movie about his life, called Never Give Up: The Jimmy V Story, was made in 1996.
Valvano has been honored many times for his contributions to basketball.
- In 1993, he was inducted into the Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame.
- In 1999, he joined the Hall of Distinguished Alumni at Rutgers and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
- In 2004, he was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2012, he was part of the first group inducted into the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame.
- In 2018, the William Neal Reynolds Coliseum at North Carolina State University was renamed James T. Valvano Arena in his honor.
- In 2023, Valvano was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
His story and speeches continue to inspire many people, especially those fighting cancer.
Personal Life
Valvano married his high school sweetheart, Pam. They had three daughters together. His younger brother, Bob, is also a sportscaster and used to be a basketball coach.
Images for kids
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Valvano coaching N.C. State in 1983
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Valvano circa 1985
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (Middle Atlantic Conference) (1969–1970) | |||||||||
| 1969–70 | Johns Hopkins | 10–9 | |||||||
| Johns Hopkins: | 10–9 | ||||||||
| Bucknell Bison (Middle Atlantic Conference) (1972–1975) | |||||||||
| 1972–73 | Bucknell | 11–14 | 6–4 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1973–74 | Bucknell | 8–16 | 2–8 | T–5th | |||||
| 1974–75 | Bucknell | 14–12 | 4–4 | T–3rd | |||||
| Bucknell: | 33–42 | 12–16 | |||||||
| Iona Gaels (NCAA Division I independent) (1975–1980) | |||||||||
| 1975–76 | Iona | 11–15 | |||||||
| 1976–77 | Iona | 15–10 | |||||||
| 1977–78 | Iona | 17–10 | |||||||
| 1978–79 | Iona | 23–6 | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||||
| 1979–80 | Iona | 28–4 | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||||
| Iona: | 94–45 | ||||||||
| NC State Wolfpack (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1980–1990) | |||||||||
| 1980–81 | NC State | 14–13 | 4–10 | 7th | |||||
| 1981–82 | NC State | 22–10 | 7–7 | 4th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1982–83 | NC State | 26–10 | 8–6 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I champion | ||||
| 1983–84 | NC State | 19–14 | 4–10 | 7th | NIT First Round | ||||
| 1984–85 | NC State | 23–10 | 9–5 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 1985–86 | NC State | 21–13 | 7–7 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 1986–87 | NC State | 20–13 | 6–8 | 6th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1987–88 | NC State | 24–6 | 10–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1988–89 | NC State | 22–9 | 10–4 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| 1989–90 | NC State | 18–12 | 6–8 | T–5th | |||||
| NC State: | 209–110 | 71–69 | |||||||
| Total: | 346–210 | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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See also
In Spanish: Jim Valvano para niños
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
