You can't blame thousands of FSU fans if they say, "Hugh, who?" After all, Hugh Durham left Tallahassee in 1978. But look it up. Durham is the Noles all-time winningest basketball coach, with a record of 230-95, a .708 winning percentage.
Durham went on to coach at Georgia, which is where his name is usually associated. But he was a Seminole first -- as a player and a coach. And it's for his FSU days that Durham will be honored at this year's ACC Tournament. He's one of the 2011 Legends class that will take a bow during halftime of the first semifinal game.
The video above -- albeit at a Univ. of Tennessee event in January -- is a look at Durham as he is today, retired and mostly overlooked, even by his alma mater.
So as a reminder of his impact at FSU, here's a recap of Durham's milestones with the Noles (thanks in part to Wikipedia):
• To honor Durham's achievements over five decades at three schools, the "Hugh Durham Coach of the Year" award goes each year to the top NCAA Division I mid-major coach.
• Durham is the only coach in the history of NCAA Division I basketball to lead two different schools to their first and only NCAA Final Four appearance in each school's history. (FSU - 1972 & UGA - 1983).
• He's one of only 11 NCAA Division I coaches to take two different teams to the NCAA Final Four.
• Durham's career totals include 633 wins, eight NCAA tournament appearances, two NCAA Final Fours, seven NIT bids, one NIT Final Four, two SEC championships, one Metro Conference Championship, four SEC Coach of the Year awards and one Metro Conference Coach of the Year award.
• His first recruiting class at FSU in 1966 included Dave Cowens. After a prolific career at FSU, Cowens was drafted by the Boston Celtics. He was named NBA co-Rookie of the Year in 1971, '73 MVP, and led the Celtics to two NBA titles. Cowens is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and was voted one of the NBA's 50 all-time greatest players in 1996.
• In 1966-67 season, Durham recruited and coached the first African-American basketball player in Florida State sports history.
• In 1972 Durham led FSU to the NCAA Championship game coaching against coaching legends Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith and John Wooden in three consecutive tourney games. He won the first two, but lost to Wooden's UCLA team, led by Bill Walton, in the title game.
• In 1999, FSU renamed its Most Valuable Player award the "Hugh Durham Most Valuable Player" award.
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