Denny Crum helped make Louisville Men’s Basketball into a true blue blood power. While they had legendary players and coaches such as Wes Unseld and Peck Hickman, it was Coach Crum who made Louisville into a multi-time NCAA champion and one of the premier programs in college basketball. His legacy in Louisville Athletics is deeply rooted and impactful. While Coach Crum was honored by the university with his name adorning the court on which the Louisville men’s and women’s basketball teams play on in the KFC! Yum Center, you can never honor a legend enough.
A truly special moment. This one's for you, Coach! #LsUp #GoCards pic.twitter.com/DPFtiE9PZv
— Vince Tyra (@vincetyra) December 10, 2020
Today, it was announced the new dorm being built across the street from the Planet Fitness Kueber Center on Floyd Street will be adorned with Denny Crum’s name. In the video above, Athletic Director Vince Tyra described the new facility to Coach Crum and his wife. However, he kept the artist rendering hidden and, after the description, revealed to Coach Crum that the new dorm will bear his name. Coach Crum was definitely touched by the gesture. When AD Tyra revealed construction was set to begin in March, Coach Crum joked they should start it on March 2nd, his birthday.
L&N Credit Union donated $2.25 million to the new dorm project and was responsible for having the new residence hall named after the Hall of Fame coach. The hall is scheduled to be open by Fall of 2022.
Denny Crum is a native of CA and played and coached under the legendary John Wooden. When Denny came to Louisville, he set about building a power house program that he led to two titles in 1980 and 1986. Coach Crum built the program into a destination job and that helped Louisville get its third title in 2013 (NCAA can’t stop CSZ from counting it).
While not a Louisville native, he became interwoven into the fabric of the community and made Louisville his home. He’s helped the community through various charities. At the university, he has helped many students through his scholarship foundation and fund. Also, he can be seen in the Yum Center and even Cardinal Stadium rooting on his beloved Cards.
No one can deny the fact that Denny Crum is the reason Louisville men’s basketball is the program it is today. In fact, it can be argued his efforts to elevate the men’s basketball program helped elevate the entire athletic department and helped create the Floyd Street juggernaut we have today.
Now, his legacy will continue to live on as the residence hall that will house both student-athletes and regular students bears his name. The young men and women that will come to UofL to play basketball for the foreseeable future will now be able to see his name and learn about the legacy of one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time and a great person, Denny Crum.
To read all about the new Denny Crum Hall, please read UofL’s press release below:
New Dorm Named For Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum
Cards’ Coach for 30 years won two national championships, made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville Board of Trustees has approved the naming of a new residence after the Cardinals’ winningest basketball coach who has been a part of the Louisville community for nearly 50 years.
Denny Crum Hall made possible by L&N Federal Credit Union will be the name of a new University of Louisville residence hall, located across Floyd Street from the Planet Fitness Kueber Center that will be built for occupancy by the fall 2022 semester and will house several Cardinal student-athletes.
The $23.5 million, 128-bed residence hall that was announced on Oct. 28 is a partnership among UofL Athletics, UofL Campus Housing and a third-party developer consisting of Buffalo Construction and Larry Gough, who also developed Cardinal Towne, another campus housing project. L&N Federal Credit Union has provided a $2.25 million gift to the Cardinal Athletic Fund to promote the legacy of UofL Athletics through naming the facility in Crum’s honor.
“While Coach Crum’s Hall of Fame career as a coach has been well documented, his name on the new dorm will properly represent the impact that he has made on the university, albeit athletics or academics,” said UofL Vice-President/Director of Athletics Vince Tyra. “It’s a great honor to know him as a friend and to celebrate him with this important campus initiative. We can’t thank L&N Federal Credit Union enough for their continued support of UofL Athletics.”
Hall of Fame Coach Won Two National Titles
Denny Crum served as UofL’s men’s basketball coach for 30 years (1971-2001), retiring following the 2000-01 season. The man admirably labeled “Cool Hand Luke” by former commentator Al McGuire was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 9, 1994.
He directed Louisville to the 1980 and the 1986 NCAA Championships, ranking him as one of only 14 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 five coaches all-time coached more Final Four teams than Crum.
“We are honored to have Coach Crum’s name displayed on our players’ campus home that will be connected to our training facility,” said UofL Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mack. “His legacy here is not only as a Hall of Fame coach who won two national championships, but as a terrific person who has meant so much to this university and community for nearly five decades. I’m also very grateful for the commitment that L&N Federal Credit Union has made to this project, investing in our future with a facility that will have long-lasting significance for our basketball program and this university.”
Crum guided the Cardinals to 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, 10th-most by a coach all-time. Crum’s teams regularly faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules and he amassed a 675-295 career coaching record, including an impressive 42-22 NCAA Tournament mark. Three of his squads participated in the NIT, reaching the NIT semifinals in 1985. The Cardinals captured or shared 12 Metro Conference regular season titles and 11 post-season tournament championships under Crum’s guidance. Crum engineered UofL to 20 or more victories in 21 of his 30 seasons.
After his retirement, Crum continued to work as a special assistant to the UofL president for several years. The KFC Yum! Center court has been named in his honor. Since 2001, The Denny Crum Scholarship Foundation and the Denny Crum Scholarship Fund at UofL have awarded over a million dollars benefiting over 425 students. The San Fernando, Calif., native made Louisville his home and has lent countless hours of his time for charitable causes throughout the community for the past 49 years.
Residence Hall Will House Student-Athletes, Others
Denny Crum Hall made possible by L&N Federal Credit Union will be connected to the Planet Fitness Kueber Center by a skywalk, is slated to open for the fall 2022 semester and will house a mixture of student-athletes and non-student athletes. Men’s and women’s basketball and women’s lacrosse student-athletes – who each train in the adjoining facility, will live in the residence hall in which UofL Athletics will guarantee occupancy for 63 of the 128 beds to remain within the NCAA requirement of no more than 50% of the beds being occupied by student-athletes. UofL Athletics will also guarantee an additional 10 beds to be used by team managers and graduate assistants.
The residence hall will also serve as a Living Learning Community (LLC) for sophomore and above Sport Administration majors, enhancing one of UofL’s top undergraduate programs. It will be managed by UofL Campus Housing and will include a full-time live-in hall director and three resident assistants.
The project site is owned by a combination of the UofL Foundation and University and will require a ground lease agreement with the Foundation.
The residence hall will be first-class and very beneficial in the recruitment and retention of top-level students and student-athletes alike. Denny Crum Hall made possible by L&N Federal Credit Union will become a campus landmark that features an enclosed crosswalk spanning Floyd Street, linking the residence hall and the Kueber Center. The hall’s distinctive look will have the added benefit of enhancing the beautification efforts for the Floyd Street area on campus.
Another Major Gift by L&N Federal Credit Union
This is the second major gift provided to UofL Athletics in as many years by L&N Federal Credit Union, a cooperative, not-for-profit financial institution located in Louisville. In recognition of their $2 million gift in April 2019, UofL’s women’s volleyball home venue on campus was renamed L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.
Established in 1954, the credit union was founded to serve the L&N Railroad workers in Louisville. Today, L&N Federal Credit Union is open to everyone in the Louisville Metropolitan area.
With assets over $1.6 billion dollars, 20 branches and an array of products and services, L&N can offer everything necessary for someone’s personal or business finances. Nearly 100,000 people have taken advantage of flexible mortgage and consumer loans, commercial loans, free online/mobile banking, free checking, business accounts and more. More information may be obtained online atwww.LNFCU.com, or via phone at (502) 368-5858.
