Any conversation about my fixation on Maryland basketball will inevitably go back to the Left Hander, Coach Lefty Driesell. I only discovered recently that last year he had been inducted into basketball’s Hall of Fame. His acceptance speech at his induction (click here) will show you why I like him so much. He was a great coach and a very witty, funny guy who made Maryland basketball what it is today.
Lefty being bald may have had something to do with him always reminding me of Buzzy or vice versa. But in addition to that physical trait, Lefty and Buzzy both had other commonalities such as a larger-than-life persona about them, a very direct manner of communicating and a my-way-or-the-highway air about them that I respected. Their wit and sense of humor were also traits that I liked and tried to emulate as I grew up.
In his book My Losing Season Pat Conroy has a chapter titled Lefty Knew My Name. Here is something I found that has Conroy discussing this:
