When Hammonds is ready to announce his choice, Cremins and Wake Forest assistant Mark Freidinger are summoned to the high school.įreidinger feels an elbow in his ribs.
The year is 1985, and Georgia Tech and Wake Forest are in a recruiting war for Florida schoolboy star Tom Hammonds. "Bobby," Cantwell says, "those are left-handed clubs." "Uh, Kevin," Cremins says to assistant coach Kevin Cantwell, "I can't do this." Once there, he pulls a club and begins contorting his hands and arms into unimaginable positions.
This son of Irish immigrants - his father was a longshoreman - did not learn to play golf.Ĭremins strolls into the pro shop and is told to pick a bag of clubs and head to the driving range. One problem: As a New York City street kid, Cremins learned to play hoops and hotwire cars.
One of his first duties is to play golf with some influential boosters. The year is 1975, and the 27-year-old Cremins has just landed his first head-coaching position - at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. So as Cremins departs his final ACC tournament following Thursday night's 63-62 loss to Florida State, we offer tales about the most unassuming, congenial giant this storied conference has seen. Even the man himself, who 34 years ago left behind the gangs of the south Bronx to play ACC basketball for Frank McGuire at the University of South Carolina. The stories are better.ĭon't measure Cremins' impact on the conference by the glowing tributes that accompanied his recent resignation.
The stories are better.ĭon't judge Cremins' 19 seasons as Georgia Tech's head coach by his Final Four or his final defeat. Don't remember Bobby Cremins' ACC playing and coaching career by the numbers. Bobby Cremins retired Monday after 31 seasons as a college basketball head coach, six at Appalachian State, 19 in the ACC at Georgia Tech and the last six at the College of Charleston.Īt age 64,his mop as thick and white as ever, he remains among the most charming, self-effacing and amusing men in an ego-fueled, often-joyless racket.Īs a hat tip, and at the suggestion of former DP colleague and current Charleston Post and Courier wordsmith Darryl Slater, here's a column I wrote after Cremins' final game at Georgia Tech 12 years ago.ĬHARLOTTE, N.C.