Denny Crum, legendary Louisville basketball coach, dies at 86

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - The Hall of Fame basketball coach who led the University of Louisville Cardinals to two NCAA National Championships has died.

Denny Crum died at his home on Tuesday morning at the age of 86.

Crum, who played for and was an assistant to legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, left came to Louisville in 1971 and spent the next 30 years as the University of Louisville men’s basketball coach.

His teams won the national title in 1980 and 1986. Six of his teams made it to the NCAA national semifinals.

The University of Louisville said only five coaches all-time have coached more Final Four teams than Crum.

He was named “Cool Hand Luke” by former commentator Al McGuire, a nickname which stuck with many University of Louisville athletes.

Crum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame upon its founding by the National Association of Basketball coaches in 2006.

After his retirement, Crum and was the co-host of a daily radio show with former University of Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall.

The KFC Yum! Center’s court, which is the home court for the UofL Cardinals, was named in his honor back in 2007 for Freedom Hall. The court was transferred over to the Yum! Center in 2010.

Crum is survived by his wife, Susan Sweeney Crum, and his three adult children.