College hoops loses a coaching legend
Posted: Monday, November 17, 2008 8:39 PM
Filed Under:
Coaches
It’s amazing thing to have coached your last nearly 50 years ago, yet your influence in college basketball is still felt today. That’s Pete Newell’s legacy.
The former California, Michigan State and San Francisco coach died Monday. He was 93.
Newell, who guided Cal to the 1959 NCAA title and the Dons to the 1949 NIT crown, retired in 1960 after leading Team USA to a gold medal in basketball. Doctors advised Newell, then 44, to quit because the game was taking a toll on his health. His impact remained, though.
"Three coaches had the most influence on college basketball in terms of tactics, both offensively and defensively," Bob Knight told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Clair Bee, Hank Iba and Pete. And I think Pete had the greatest total grasp. He really studied it and kept abreast of it, both professional and collegiate. He was truly remarkable."
Much of Newell’s influence was felt in recent years through his “big men” camps. If you wanted your post player to thrive, you sent him to Newell. He instructed stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Shaquille O’Neal and Ralph Sampson.
“He probably impacted more people when he left coaching,” Jeff Fellenzer, the former tournament director and president of the Pete Newell Challenge, told the Chronicle. “He really reinvented himself. He never took a dime working those camps. He wanted to send a message to the NBA players it wasn’t about money.”
