LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Support for and stories about legendary University of Louisville basketball coach Denny Crum have poured in after the 86-year-old passed away Tuesday morning.
WHAS11 sat down with Van Vance, former WHAS television and radio sports broadcaster, who knew Crum for years.
Vance was also the voice of Cardinal basketball from 1982 to 1995.
At that time, Crum was triumphant at UofL, leading the team to his second championship in 1986.
Vance said he coached with a calm, cool approach, and didn’t let his excitement during the game get in the way of his decision-making.
“He was just about the best in the game, there’s hardly been anybody better than he was. The adjustments that he made while the game was going on, a lot of time we’d be behind, but the last four or five minutes here they’d come,” he said.
Vance said during their time working together, Crum treated everyone, from media to players, with respect.
Outside of the game, Vance said he will remember Crum as a fine human being who came to love his home in Louisville.
“The state and the area adopted Denny, he became part of it. And then he also adopted us as an area here; he loved it, he loved being here and you just identify him so much with basketball and Kentucky and especially in Louisville,” he said.
Vance has countless stories about Crum from the championships and Final Fours, to fishing and meals with friends, who Vance said loved and will miss Crum dearly.
Vance said Crum’s legacy will be one not just of incredible basketball, but of being an incredible person and Louisvillian.
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