Former Gator Coach Passes Away At 77
Tuesday, December 9, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Norm Sloan, the winningest coach in Florida basketball history and the architect of the 1974 NCAA Champion North Carolina State Wolfpack, died Tuesday at 77.
Sloan, whose 627 victories rank him 26th on the all-time list of Division I coaches, died of pulmonary fibrosis at Duke Hospital, daughter Leslie Nicholls said. Sloan was living in Raleigh.
Sloan posted a record of 235-194 in 15 season at Florida, leading the Gators in two different stints, from 1960-66, then returning from 1980-89. He took Florida to the NCAA Tournament three times, after the program had gone more than 70 years without ever making it.
He led the Wolfpack to the NCAA championship in 1974, and many of the N.C. State faithful wonder if there could have been another title. In 1973, David Thompson helped the Wolfpack to a 27-0 record, but they weren't able to play in the NCAA tournament because of probation related to his recruitment.
Sloan left the Wolfpack in 1980 for a second stint at Florida, where he led the Gators on their first true basketball renaissance.
Sloan's first run with the Gators went from 1960-66. He was the first full-time basketball coach at Florida.
Including stints at Presbyterian and Citadel, Sloan had a career record of 627-395 over 37 seasons.
Florida head coach Billy Donovan's statement on the passing of former Florida and North Carolina State head coach Norm Sloan
"It's a terrible loss, not only for the University of Florida, but for college basketball and my condolences go out to his family and friends. Norm Sloan meant a great deal to college basketball. His impact was not only felt here, where he is the winningest coach in this program's history, but also at North Carolina State where he led his team to a National Championship. It's certainly a sad day for the sport of basketball with his passing."
Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley
"Our condolences go out to the Sloan family. Coach Sloan made some outstanding contributions to the basketball program at Florida in his two tenures with the program. He was the first ever full-time basketball coach at Florida, is the winningest basketball coach in the history of the school and won the school's first ever Southeastern Conference Championship. The Sloan family is in our thoughts and prayers."
Former Florida assistant and current University of New Orleans head coach Monte Towe
"We have lost a great warrior. There is not a day that goes by that I don't apply something that I learned from Coach Sloan in a positive way to my personal life and my teaching of basketball. He has touched a lot of great people in a great way
