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A RESOLUTION adjourning the Senate in honor and loving memory of former 1
University of Louisville Men's Basketball Coach Denny Crum. 2
WHEREAS, Denny Crum, a loving husband and father who won two NCAA 3
Championships while serving as the University of Louisville’s men’s basketball coach 4
for 30 years, passed away at his home on May 9, 2023, at the age of 86; and 5
WHEREAS, a native of San Fernando, California, Denny Crum played college 6
basketball at UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden, and after graduating in 1959, 7
immediately began his coaching career with UCLA’s freshman basketball team; and 8
WHEREAS, in 1961, Denny Crum returned to Pierce College, where he had 9
attended, as an assistant coach and later served as their head coach from 1964 through 10
1968; he was then rehired by UCLA and became John Wooden's top assistant coach and 11
chief recruiter, helping lead the Bruins to national titles in each of his three seasons while 12
compiling an 86–4 record and recruiting players such as Bill Walton, one of the greatest 13
college basketball players ever; and 14
WHEREAS, Denny Crum was hired as head coach at the University of Louisville 15
in 1971, taking over a team that had not been to the Final Four in more than a decade and 16
had never won a national championship, and led the Cardinals to the 1972 Final Four in 17
his first season. His team returned to the Final Four in 1975, losing in the semifinals to 18
his mentor Wooden and UCLA by one point in overtime in what is generally considered 19
one of the greatest NCAA tournament games of all time; and 20
WHEREAS, after Wooden's Bruins defeated the University of Kentucky to win the 21
1975 NCAA championship and Wooden announced his retirement, it was almost a 22
foregone conclusion that Denny Crum would return home to his alma mater and take over 23
the storied Bruins program, but Crum had other ideas; and 24
WHEREAS, Denny Crum, nicknamed "Cool Hand Luke" by former commentator 25
Al McGuire, stayed in Louisville and built upon his early success, consistently winning a 26
high percentage of his games, and finally winning the school's first NCAA championship 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 64
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against UCLA in 1980, kicking off one of the most impressive stretches in the history of 1
modern college basketball; and 2
WHEREAS, Denny Crum's Cardinals returned to the Final Four in both 1982 and 3
1983, and in 1986 he won his second NCAA championship, emerging victorious over 4
Duke University; and 5
WHEREAS, over his 30-year career from 1971 to 2001, Denny Crum amassed a 6
record of 675 wins against 295 losses, and guided the Cardinals to 23 NCAA tournament 7
appearances, 10th-most by a coach of all time; six Final Four appearances, sixth-most by 8
a coach of all time; and two national championships, making him one of just 14 coaches 9
who have won multiple crowns; and 10
WHEREAS, Denny Crum, who was known for his trademark rolled-up program he 11
held in one hand during games, often gesturing with it to emphasize a point, is considered 12
one of the best college basketball coaches in history. He was inducted into the Naismith 13
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994, as well as being named a member of the 14
inaugural class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006; and 15
WHEREAS, after retirement from coaching, Denny Crum stayed in Louisville and 16
remained a vital part of the community, serving as a special assistant to the university 17
president for several years and co-hosting "The Joe B. and Denny Show," a popular talk 18
radio program with his former rival and good friend, former University of Kentucky 19
basketball coach Joe B. Hall; and 20
WHEREAS, since 2001, the Denny Crum Scholarship Foundation and the Denny 21
Crum Scholarship Fund at U of L have awarded over a million dollars benefiting over 22
425 students; serving as just one example of how this California native made Louisville 23
his home and lent countless hours of his time for charitable causes throughout the 24
community for over 50 years; and 25
WHEREAS, Denny Crum's legacy permeates the Louisville campus; the KFC 26
Yum! Center court has been named in his honor, and a new residence hall on the U of L 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 64
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campus, Denny Crum Hall, opened in the fall 2022 semester, both student athletes and 1
non-student athletes; and 2
WHEREAS, Denny Crum is survived by his wife Susan Sweeney Crum, daughter 3
Cynthia Abney; sons Steve (Libby) and Scott (Megan); sisters Juanita Whitson and 4
Sharann (Doug) Watson; brother Terry (Nancy) Turner; and grandchildren Austin Abney, 5
Candra Abney and Lena Crum; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He 6
was preceded in death by his father and stepmother Alwin "AD" and Jean Crum; mother 7
and stepfather June and Mike Turner; and grandson Daniel Crum; 8
NOW, THEREFORE, 9
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 10
Kentucky: 11
Section 1. The members of the Senate, both individually and collectively, do 12
hereby express their deepest sympathy upon the passing of former University of 13
Louisville Basketball Coach Denny Crum, posthumously recognize his coaching 14
greatness and unparalleled success, and applaud his long history of charitable and 15
philanthropic work across the Commonwealth. 16
Section 2. When the Senate adjourns this day, it does so in honor and loving 17
memory of Coach Denny Crum. 18
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 19
Resolution to Senator David Yates for delivery to the Crum family. 20