Dave Gavitt was many things – basketball legend and pioneer, CEO of the Boston Celtics; Olympic Coach; and founding Commissioner of the Big East. To me, first and foremost he coach of the Providence College Friars from the moment I began watching basketball. Growing up in a Friars household, he was central to some of my earliest joys and heartbreaks.
I could not let Coach Gavitt’s death pass without some tribute and expression of gratitude to what he gave to us Friar fans, the state of Rhode Island and basketball itself. I have assembled a list of my 5 greatest joys and heartbreaks as a Friar fan (most of which were during his tenure). I also wanted to thank a fellow Rhode Islander for showing us that not only could Little Rhody compete with anyone in this world but we could beat them handily if we set our mind to it.
Years later, I met then-Senator Joe Biden during his Presidential campaign and joked to him that he had no idea what it meant for a kid from Little Rhode Island if a Senator from Delaware could become President. Who knows, if Gavitt had coached the Delaware Blue Hens, Biden might be President today.
THE GAVITT YEARS
1969–1970 | Providence | 14–11 | |||
1970–1971 | Providence | 20–8 | NIT Quarterfinal | ||
1971–1972 | Providence | 21–6 | NCAA 1st Round | ||
1972–1973 | Providence | 27–4 | NCAA Final Four/NCAA National 3rd Place | ||
1973–1974 | Providence | 28–4 | NCAA Sweet 16/NCAA East Regional 3rd Place | ||
1974–1975 | Providence | 20–11 | NIT Runner-up | ||
1975–1976 | Providence | 21–11 | NIT Semifinal/3rd Place | ||
1976–1977 | Providence | 24–5 | NCAA 1st Round | ||
1977–1978 | Providence | 24–8 | NCAA 1st Round | ||
1978–1979 | Providence | 10–16 | |||
Providence: | 209–84 |
Dave Gavitt tribute from Fields of Vision on Vimeo.
#1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
The Legend of |
Do You Believe |
Hoya Destroyahs |
The Long Shot Finale (Rhode Island 1979) |
Number Ones
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#1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
Memphis Blues |
Running with the Pack NC State (1974) |
Clockwork Orange |
Basketball Gods (Arizona 1997) |
Not So Little Rhody |
(C) 2011 Friar Town West.