It’s December, which means we are just a few weeks away from the new year. To say that 2020 has been a challenging year would be an understatement, and the general consensus is society is ready to turn the page and start over in 2021. Though we are still knee-deep in the Covid-19 pandemic, hope is on the horizon with the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine already being distributed. However, let us not forget that there are still other illnesses that have no cure. One of those illnesses is cancer. Cancer has affected many people who have either had it or known someone who died from it, and in a lot of cases, it’s usually a death sentence. It hurts more when cultural icons fall victim to this horrible disease. One of the biggest icons to die from cancer is former NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano.
Coach Valvano, affectionately known as Jimmy V, was one of the greatest college coaches in his era. His coaching career began at Rutgers after graduating from the school in 1967, where he then led the freshman team and was an assistant for the varsity team. After two years at Rutgers, Valvano began his 19-year head coaching career that started at Johns Hopkins University for one season, and then Bucknell and Iona, before his final stop at NC State, where he is most recognizable for his ten-year tenure that included a national title with the Wolfpack. His record as a head coach is 346-210.
Jimmy V was hired as head coach by NC State ahead of the 1980/81 season and stayed in that position until after the 1989/90 season. During that time, he led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament 7 times, including two elite eights, a sweet 16, and the memorable 1983 National Championship. The Wolfpack were also ACC regular-season champions in 1985 and 1989, and ACC Tournament champions in 1983 and 1987 under the direction of coach Valvano. Valvano had been named ACC Coach of the Year in 1989. Jimmy V’s final record with NC State is 209-110. His 209 wins at NC State account for the majority of his 346 wins as a head coach.
While Valvano’s career on the court is remarkable, he has been more memorable for his battle with cancer. Jimmy V, in the face of adversity, found a way to be positive by doing various speaking roles, including his most memorable speech at the 1993 ESPYs. During that speech, he announced the founding of the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research and delivered his famous parting words, “don’t give up, don’t ever give up”.
Twenty-seven years later, we still remember Jimmy V and other cancer victims as we continue his fight for a cure. ESPN recently concluded its annual Jimmy V Week campaign against cancer. Jimmy V’s life and death is proof that legends never die.
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