George Raveling

George Raveling made history as the first African American coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 1969 while at Maryland, and later became the first African-American basketball coach in the Pacific-8 Conference (now Pac-12) when he took the helm at Washington State in 1972. His collegiate playing career at Villanova University saw him lead the Wildcats to consecutive National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearances in 1959 and 1960, earning him a selection by the Philadelphia Warriors in the eighth round of the 1960 NBA draft. His significant coaching impact was recognized early, as he was named UPI Pac-8 Coach of the Year in 1976. He continued his head coaching career at the University of Iowa from 1983 to 1986, and then at the University of Southern California from 1986 to 1994.

He then joined Nike, initially as Director of Grassroots Basketball and later as Director of International Basketball, a role where he was instrumental in shaping the global landscape of the sport. At Nike, he played a critical role in the landmark Michael Jordan endorsement deal in 1984, which led to the creation of the iconic Air Jordan brand. Raveling’s profound legacy has been cemented through numerous honors and inductions, including the WSU Athletics Hall of Fame (2004), the Pac-10 Basketball Men’s Hall of Honor (2004), and the prestigious John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award (2013).

He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, followed by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. His indelible impact on Washington State University was further recognized in 2020 when his name was immortalized on a banner in Beasley Coliseum.