In a move that's long overdue, the University of Louisville announced Wednesday that it will name the court in Freedom Hall after former head coach Denny Crum.
"Denny Crum Court" will make its official debut when the Cards host Georgetown on Feb. 7.
"For three decades, U of L Basketball was Denny Crum," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Tom Jurich. "It's a fitting tribute to honor him with this unique distinction for his success and years of hard work in guiding our men's basketball program consistently on a national level. We had envisioned honoring him within the new arena, but Rick Pitino and I were talking and thought 'Why wait?' Let's not wait any longer in getting his name on the court in Freedom Hall, where he he coached for 30 years."
Crum guided Louisville to the 1980 and the 1986 NCAA Championships, and is one of only 11 coaches in NCAA history to win two or more titles. Six times he guided the Cardinals into the NCAA Final Four, including four times in the decade of the '80s. Only three coaches all-time have coached more Final Four teams than Crum. He was named the coach of the year in 1980, '83 and '86, and was the Metro Conference coach of the year three times.
Crum's teams won 20 or more games in 21 of his 30 seasons, the 11th most all-time. He directed the Cardinals to 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking as the sixth highest all-time, and his teams never missed the tournament in consecutive seasons.
Crum's 675 victories rank him 26th all-time, holding a 675-295 career record. His NCAA Tournament mark is 42-23. He retired at the conclusion of the 2000-01 season and continues to work as a special assistant to the U of L president.
A great move by the university that probably should have been made immediately following his retirement, especially given the manner in which he was treated during his final years on the sidelines.
Denny Crum is Louisville basketball and it's only right that everyone who plays for or against the Cardinals will see his name every time they step on the floor.