Legendary Coach Bobby Cremins

Writers and sportscasters have a difficult time putting into words their impressions of Appalachian State coach Bobby Cremins and his value to the University and its basketball program.

And it is not easy to put one's finger on the magic that Bobby Cremins and his staff seem to weave year after year with a dozen young men and an orange ball.

But the results speak for themselves. Just give Cremins the players – of just about any ability; it doesn't matter – and watch him do his thing. It won't be long before he has gained their respect, their loyalty and their undivided attention.

It has already happened too many times; Cremins and staff would recruit the sleepers, the players overlooked by many other schools. They would blend talents and personalities and before long an incredible team would be right in there, fighting it out for the Southern Conference championship.

Last year, Appalachian stood at 6-17 late in the season – and was last in the nine team Southern Conference. Since the ninth place team does not qualify for the conference tournament, it appeared the Apps may have fallen from first to last in a season.

But in typical Cremins fashion, this team gutted it out and won six of its last eight games, charging to sixth in the league standings and then upsetting Western Carolina in the tourney's first round on the Catamounts' home court.

It was not Cremins' best team, but it was a team that never quit and that grew closer and closer as the season went along.

ASU was 16-64 in the three years before Cremins' arrival and 3-23 the season before he came. In his first season, he nearly compiled a winning record, going 13-14.

After that year, ASU went 17-12 and 15-13 against schedules that one national publication rated the most difficult of any team in the conference. His 17-12 team reached the tournament semifinals and was only two points away – in overtime, no less – from earning a postseason tournament berth. VMI was the victor in that game, 69-67.

The next season ASU accomplished another first: the team won the regular season title with a 9-3 league record.

1978-79 was the peak. Only four years after an ASU team had lost 23 games, the 1978-79 Mountaineer squad won 23 games, won both the regular season and tournament titles in the conference and advanced to the NCAA Mideast Regionals. It was, simply, the best season in ASU basketball history.

In last year's rebuilding campaign, ASU was 12-16 and still gained much respect as a tough opponent. The players' and fans' affections for Cremins never waned.

Cremins continues to be a student of the game. He is not egotistical enough to think that he knows everything, and he is willing to learn, to change, to adapt. In fact, an association with ASU basketball often means watching a coach mature as much as watching players mature.

One tends to think of head college coaches as being stodgy and image conscious. But Cremins is as unpretentious as anyone. And unpredictable. He is fun to be around.

Because of his youth, (he was the youngest Division I head coach in America when hired) he has great rapport with his players. They respect him but are not intimidated by him. He is willing to learn as much from them as he tries to teach them. When they have problems or complaints they are not afraid to talk to him. And he is not too big to listen.

In two of his first three seasons, he was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year. It's an honor he will probably be in the running for as long as he is on the scene.

Cremins is 80-61 in five seasons. Much has happened in ASU basketball since he opened up with the "Bronx-to-Boone Express" his first year. His recruiting is taking him all over the Eastern Seaboard and everywhere he is popular and well-received.

This year is a new challenge. Bu the is accustomed to challenges. Taking the ASU job was a big leap. Attending South Carolina and playing under legendary Frank McGuire was another challenge and a joy in his life. He captained the Gamecocks his senior year and returned there as a graduate assistant coach.

The Cremins story continues to unfold. Everywhere he goes he is recognized and liked, although he is teased often in the South about his New York slur.

His family are some of his biggest boosters. His wife Carolyn and her children – Liz and Suzie – and their son Bobby III are as recognized and as popular on campus and around town as is the coach. They provide him with constant support.

And he never fails to call home and tell his parents how the Apps did after a game – usually before he even talks to the media.

The touch of class that he and his family have added to Appalachian State keeps him in the limelight, whether he likes it or not. And the University and the area have reaped the benefits of their presence.

(Bio from the 1980-81 basketball media guide)

To view Coach Cremins' original press release from the day of his hiring on February 4, 1975, click HERE.