Ray Meyer Dies at 92

By Benjy Lipsman on Mar 20, 2006 8:50PM

While the nation celebrated the frenzy of March Madness, basketball fans in Chicago felt more than a little March sadness as we learned that legendary DePaul coach Rey Meyer passed on Friday at 92.

Meyer reigned over the basketball program at DePaul for 42 years, along the way developing George Mikan into the first true big man, and taking his program to the Final Four in 1979. A four-time coach of the year, Meyer retired with a career record of 724-354 which still places him in the top 20 winningest coaches of all-time in NCAA Div. I basketball.

During his tenure DePaul saw its basketball program fall on hard times as TV broadcasting deals, larger arenas and more sophisticated recruiting changed college basketball in the late 60's and early 70's. But Meyer weathered the storm and re-established the program as one of the nation's elite programs by the end of the 70's before handing off the program to his son Joey in 1984.

Known as "the Coach" not just to his players, but even to his wife and kids Meyer lived and loved the game of basketball. Along the way, he taught countless players about the game and about hard work. and made himself into a Chicago legend.

Image via DePaul.edu