George Raveling
Encyclopedia
George Raveling is a former college men's basketball
coach and FOX Sports Net color commentator. He was the head coach at Washington State University
(1972–1983), the University of Iowa
(1983–1986), and the University of Southern California
(1987–1994). The Washington, D.C.
native attended St. Michael's High School in Hoban Heights, Pennsylvania, and was an assistant coach at his alma mater Villanova
, and at Maryland
.
On August 28, 1963, as Dr. Martin Luther King waved goodbye to an audience of over 200,000 "March on Washington
" participants, he handed Raveling the original typewritten "I Have a Dream
" speech.
appearances during his 11 years. The first appearance was in 1980 and marked the first time WSU was included in the NCAA bracket since finishing second in 1941. Three years later Raveling returned WSU to the NCAA tournament. Raveling was one of the winningest coaches in Washington State basketball history, finishing his WSU career with 167 wins, 136 losses, and seven winning seasons, including five straight from the 1975-76 campaign through the 1980 season.
While at Washington State, Raveling was an assistant coach for the USA team at the 1979 Pan American Games
and the West Regional coach at the 1979 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. He also was an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1980.
Among his outstanding players were James Donaldson, Craig Ehlo, Don Collins, Bryan Rison and Steve Harriel, who all earned All-Pacific-10 Conference
first team honors. Donaldson went on to play in the NBA for 14 years and was on the 1988 NBA All-star team. Collins went on to play in both the NBA
and CBA
after setting the WSU record for career steels and finishing third in scoring. Ehlo was selected in the third round of the 1983 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He played 14 NBA seasons with four teams, amassing respectable career totals of 7,492 points, 2,456 assists and 3,139 rebounds.
Raveling was the UPI Pac-8 Coach of the Year winner in 1976, and was the league's coach of the year winner in 1983. Coach Raveling was honored by WSU with his induction into the Pac-10 Basketball Hall of Honor.
as head coach at the University of Iowa in 1983, guiding the Hawkeyes to back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament berths in 1985 and 1986. In 1984, he served as the assistant coach for the USA Olympic men's basketball team. Bob Knight served as the head coach, and Steve Alford
and Michael Jordan
were guards on that team. Shooting 63.9 percent from the floor, the US team captured the ninth Olympic title with a convincing 96-65 victory over Spain in the gold medal game. During his 4-year tenure at Iowa, Raveling is probably best known for his recruits and outstanding players, including B.J. Armstrong, Kevin Gamble
, Ed Horton
, Brad Lohaus
, Roy Marble
and Greg Stokes
, all of whom went on to play in the NBA.
Hank Gathers
and Bo Kimble
were recruited to the University of Southern California
by Head Coach Stan Morrison
and his top assistant, David Spencer. They were joined by high school All-American, Tom Lewis, and Rich Grande as the "Four Freshmen" star recruiting class. Following an 11-17 season coaching USC, Morrison and Spencer were fired after the 1985-86 season was over, despite winning the PAC-10 the previous year. It was reported that the players would not remain unless certain conditions were met, including having a say in the next coaching staff. USC hired Raveling as the next head coach of the Trojans. Raveling gave the players a deadline to respond whether they would remain on the team. When they did not respond, he revoked the scholarships of Gathers, Kimble, and Lewis. Raveling's controversial statement was, "You can't let the Indians run the reservation," he said. "You've got to be strong, too. Sometimes you have to tell them that they have to exit." Kimble and Gathers transferred together from USC to Loyola Marymount. Lewis transferred to Pepperdine. Grande remained at USC.
During Raveling's career at USC, the Trojans advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1991 and 1992 and competed in the NIT
in 1993 and 1994.
Raveling has worked for Nike
since his retirement from USC, and has authored two books on rebounding drills, War on the Boards and A Rebounder's Workshop. He has served as a color commentator for CBS Sports
and FOX Sports Net, often drawing assignments for Pac-10 conference games.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and FOX Sports Net color commentator. He was the head coach at Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
(1972–1983), the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
(1983–1986), and the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(1987–1994). The Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
native attended St. Michael's High School in Hoban Heights, Pennsylvania, and was an assistant coach at his alma mater Villanova
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, and at Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
On August 28, 1963, as Dr. Martin Luther King waved goodbye to an audience of over 200,000 "March on Washington
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the largest political rally for human rights in United States history and called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr...
" participants, he handed Raveling the original typewritten "I Have a Dream
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
" speech.
Washington State University
Raveling guided the Washington State men's basketball team from 1972-1983 with two NCAA tournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances during his 11 years. The first appearance was in 1980 and marked the first time WSU was included in the NCAA bracket since finishing second in 1941. Three years later Raveling returned WSU to the NCAA tournament. Raveling was one of the winningest coaches in Washington State basketball history, finishing his WSU career with 167 wins, 136 losses, and seven winning seasons, including five straight from the 1975-76 campaign through the 1980 season.
While at Washington State, Raveling was an assistant coach for the USA team at the 1979 Pan American Games
1979 Pan American Games
The 8th Pan American Games were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to July 15, 1979. The capital of Puerto Rico played host to 3,700 athletes from 34 countries competing in 22 sports, making the VIII Pan American Games the largest to date. Security was a concern due to turmoil over the...
and the West Regional coach at the 1979 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. He also was an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1980.
Among his outstanding players were James Donaldson, Craig Ehlo, Don Collins, Bryan Rison and Steve Harriel, who all earned All-Pacific-10 Conference
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
first team honors. Donaldson went on to play in the NBA for 14 years and was on the 1988 NBA All-star team. Collins went on to play in both the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
after setting the WSU record for career steels and finishing third in scoring. Ehlo was selected in the third round of the 1983 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He played 14 NBA seasons with four teams, amassing respectable career totals of 7,492 points, 2,456 assists and 3,139 rebounds.
Raveling was the UPI Pac-8 Coach of the Year winner in 1976, and was the league's coach of the year winner in 1983. Coach Raveling was honored by WSU with his induction into the Pac-10 Basketball Hall of Honor.
University of Iowa
Raveling replaced Lute OlsonLute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
as head coach at the University of Iowa in 1983, guiding the Hawkeyes to back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament berths in 1985 and 1986. In 1984, he served as the assistant coach for the USA Olympic men's basketball team. Bob Knight served as the head coach, and Steve Alford
Steve Alford
Stephen Todd Alford is a retired American basketball player and the current head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team...
and Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
were guards on that team. Shooting 63.9 percent from the floor, the US team captured the ninth Olympic title with a convincing 96-65 victory over Spain in the gold medal game. During his 4-year tenure at Iowa, Raveling is probably best known for his recruits and outstanding players, including B.J. Armstrong, Kevin Gamble
Kevin Gamble
Kevin Douglas Gamble is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. At 6'5" he played as both a shooting guard and small forward...
, Ed Horton
Ed Horton
Edward "Ed" C. Horton is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Washington Bullets in the 2nd round of the 1989 NBA Draft. He was a 6'8", 230 lb...
, Brad Lohaus
Brad Lohaus
Bradley Allen "Brad" Lohaus is an American retired professional basketball player who was selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft...
, Roy Marble
Roy Marble
Roy Lane Marble, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player, 6'6" tall, who played as swingman....
and Greg Stokes
Greg Stokes
Gregory Lewis "Greg" Stokes is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2nd round of the 1985 NBA Draft. A 6'10" forward-center from the University of Iowa, Stokes played in 2 NBA seasons for the 76ers and Sacramento Kings...
, all of whom went on to play in the NBA.
University of Southern California
In March 1986, he returned to the Pac-10 conference as head coach for the University of Southern California.Hank Gathers
Hank Gathers
Eric "Hank" Gathers was an American college basketball star at Loyola Marymount University who collapsed and died during a game. He was the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season...
and Bo Kimble
Bo Kimble
Gregory Kevin "Bo" Kimble is a retired American college basketball player at Loyola Marymount University and professional National Basketball Association player with the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks...
were recruited to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
by Head Coach Stan Morrison
Stan Morrison
Stan Morrison is a retired college basketball coach and athletic director. He was head coach of the USC Trojans team from 1979 to 1986, as well as San Jose State Spartans from 1989 to 1998 and Pacific Tigers from 1972 to 1979. He is currently the athletic director at UC Riverside...
and his top assistant, David Spencer. They were joined by high school All-American, Tom Lewis, and Rich Grande as the "Four Freshmen" star recruiting class. Following an 11-17 season coaching USC, Morrison and Spencer were fired after the 1985-86 season was over, despite winning the PAC-10 the previous year. It was reported that the players would not remain unless certain conditions were met, including having a say in the next coaching staff. USC hired Raveling as the next head coach of the Trojans. Raveling gave the players a deadline to respond whether they would remain on the team. When they did not respond, he revoked the scholarships of Gathers, Kimble, and Lewis. Raveling's controversial statement was, "You can't let the Indians run the reservation," he said. "You've got to be strong, too. Sometimes you have to tell them that they have to exit." Kimble and Gathers transferred together from USC to Loyola Marymount. Lewis transferred to Pepperdine. Grande remained at USC.
During Raveling's career at USC, the Trojans advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1991 and 1992 and competed in the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
in 1993 and 1994.
Car accident and retirement from coaching
On the morning of September 25, 1994 his Jeep was blindsided in a two-car collision. He was seriously injured suffering nine broken ribs, a fractured pelvis and clavicle and a collapsed lung. He was in intensive care due to bleeding in his chest cavity for two weeks. Citing the automobile accident and planned lengthly rehabilitation, he retired as head coach of USC at the age of 57 on November 19.Raveling has worked for Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
since his retirement from USC, and has authored two books on rebounding drills, War on the Boards and A Rebounder's Workshop. He has served as a color commentator for CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
and FOX Sports Net, often drawing assignments for Pac-10 conference games.