George Raveling’s Legacy in Iowa Men’s Basketball

Basketball Hall of Famer George Raveling has died following a battle with cancer. He was 88 years old. Raveling had a long and successful coaching career, was an assistant on the 1984 Olympic team, and even had a role in Nike landing a young star named Michael Jordan. But many forget the pivotal role he played at the University of Iowa.

Where Did George Raveling Begin Coaching?

George Raveling began his coaching career at Washington State in 1972. At the time, he was the first black head coach in what was then called the Pac-8, now the Pac-12 conference. He is one of the winningest coaches in WSU history and was a three-time conference coach of the year.

George Raveling Heads to the University of Iowa

After 11 seasons at Washington State, George Raveling was hired as the men's basketball coach at the University of Iowa in 1983. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Raveling was replacing a Hawkeye legend in coach Lute Olsen, who had guided the Hawkeyes to the Final Four in 1980.

While at the University of Iowa, Raveling proved to be an outstanding recruiter, putting together a list of talented players that hasn't been rivaled since. Ravelling brought stars like Greg Stokes, Kevin Gamble, B.J. Armstrong, Ed Horton, and Roy Marble to the Iowa program. Raveling led Iowa to back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament berths in 1985 and 1986.

After spending just three seasons in Iowa City, Raveling left to coach at USC in 1986.

If You Love Nike Air Jordan Shoes, You Can Thank George Raveling!

Bleacher Nation reports that while Raveling served as an assistant coach with USA Basketball in 1984, he got to know a young star from North Carolina named Michael Jordan. Raveling would be one of the figures who would go on to convince Jordan to sign a shoe deal with Nike, over more proven brands like Converse and Adidas.

Bleacher Nation reports that Jordan issued a statement yesterday, calling Raveling a "mentor in every season, and I'll always carry deep gratitude for his guidance."

George Raveling impacted basketball at Iowa and around the world.

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