Kresse Reflects On 40 Years at The College and The Path That Led Him To Hall of Fame
11/16/2018 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Photo Credits: Mike Ledford / College of Charleston Marketing & Communications
CHARLESTON, S.C. – In his 40 years spent at the College of Charleston as a head coach, administrator and ambassador for the school and athletics program, Legendary Head Coach John Kresse reflects on the path that has now led him to the ultimate honor – induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City holds fond memories for Kresse as he led the men's basketball team to the 1983 NAIA National Championship title at the old Kemper Arena. It is apropos that another big moment in his life will take place once again in the same city.
Already a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame (1999), NAIA Hall of Fame (2005), South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame (2001) and College of Charleston Athletics Hall of Fame (2015), Kresse says this weekend's honor tops them all because, "there have been so many wonderful recipients of this award and this is just the culmination."
Established in 2006, the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame included Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, John Wooden and James Naismith.
"They needed time to put in the really great coaches and players ahead of me like Dean Smith and Roy Williams and players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan," Kresse joked. "They went in with the first class. Eventually, they found a spot for me."
Kresse will be inducted on Sunday, November 18 with fellow Class of 2018 members: Arkansas' Otis Birdsong, Arizona's Sean Elliott, Houston's Sidney Moncrief, North Carolina's Sam Perkins, Morgan State's Marvin Webster, USC's Paul Westphal and former Oregon Tech Head Coach Danny Miles.
"I was blown away that this happened in my life," said Kresse after he got the call about the Hall from National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Executive Director Jim Haney. "I cried for a little and (his wife) Sue gave me a couple of Kleenex tissues."
A native New Yorker and former assistant coach of the New York Nets and St. John's University, Kresse built College of Charleston into an NAIA power in the 1980s, highlighted by that national championship in 1983.
He spent 23 years as the head coach at The College, winning 560 games to just 143 losses from 1979 to 2002. His 79.7 percent career-winning percentage is the fifth highest all-time among NCAA Division I coaches behind Claire Bee, Adolph Rupp, Mark Few and John Wooden.
After the Cougars transitioned to NCAA Division I, Kresse's teams reached four NCAA Tournaments and two NITs between 1994 and 1999. He won four conference Coach of the Year awards following the jump to NCAA Division I after earlier receiving five District Coach of the Year honors from the NAIA.
"We were an NAIA program and we moved to Division I," he said. "We won close games. We pulled some upsets along the way to build a name for ourselves and national recognition. College of Charleston Basketball was put on the map with some of those wins along the way.
"To go into this Hall of Fame with these famous coaches and players, I'm humbled. My mentor, (Former St. John's Head Coach) Lou Carnesecca, always carried a slogan in his wallet that said, 'a proud peacock today is a feather duster tomorrow.' I'm still humbled, but very appreciative of this award."
During his time with the Cougars, College of Charleston would become known as "Giant Killers" with Top 25 victories over Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Maryland and Stanford. The program also achieved its highest-ever national ranking of No. 16 in 1997 and 1999 under Kresse.
Kresse is an icon in the Lowcountry, not only in sports, but on campus and in the community. He annually hosts the John Kresse Invitational, a fundraising golf tournament that supports student-athlete scholarships at CofC through The Cougar Club, the athletic department's fundraising arm.
"I've seen the campus grow from 3,000 students to 11,000 students today," he said. "There have been so many wonderful changes to the campus and in the city. I feel very proud to have represented The College. The best 40 years of my life have been right here in Charleston."
In recognition of Kresse's decorated career, the playing surface at CofC's TD Arena was named John Kresse Court. The Cougars have won 110 games to date on that court since the venue first opened in 2008 – showing Kresse's legacy and impact of building College of Charleston Basketball into what we know of it today.
"I share this award with all of my former assistant coaches and all of our great players throughout the years," he said. "Every head coach knows that they can't get it done without those types of people. I also share this award with my family: my wife, Sue Sommer-Kresse, my sons, Ryan and John, my friends and the fans and proud supporters of the College of Charleston. We all did it together."
JOHN KRESSE BY THE NUMBERS
1 – The number of national championship titles (1983 NAIA National Champions)
2 – The number of NIT Appearances (1995 and 1996)
4 – The number of wins over Top-25 ranked opponents including No. 3 North Carolina in 1998
4 – The number of NCAA Tournament appearances (1994, 1997, 1998 and 1999)
5 – The number of Hall of Fames Kresse has been inducted into
16 – College of Charleston's highest Top 25 national ranking under Kresse in 1997 and 1999 (AP Poll)
23 – The number of years he coached at College of Charleston
560 – The number of career wins from 1979 to 2002
.797 – His career winning percentage at College of Charleston
CHARLESTON, S.C. – In his 40 years spent at the College of Charleston as a head coach, administrator and ambassador for the school and athletics program, Legendary Head Coach John Kresse reflects on the path that has now led him to the ultimate honor – induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City holds fond memories for Kresse as he led the men's basketball team to the 1983 NAIA National Championship title at the old Kemper Arena. It is apropos that another big moment in his life will take place once again in the same city.
Already a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame (1999), NAIA Hall of Fame (2005), South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame (2001) and College of Charleston Athletics Hall of Fame (2015), Kresse says this weekend's honor tops them all because, "there have been so many wonderful recipients of this award and this is just the culmination."
Established in 2006, the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame included Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, John Wooden and James Naismith.
"They needed time to put in the really great coaches and players ahead of me like Dean Smith and Roy Williams and players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan," Kresse joked. "They went in with the first class. Eventually, they found a spot for me."
Kresse will be inducted on Sunday, November 18 with fellow Class of 2018 members: Arkansas' Otis Birdsong, Arizona's Sean Elliott, Houston's Sidney Moncrief, North Carolina's Sam Perkins, Morgan State's Marvin Webster, USC's Paul Westphal and former Oregon Tech Head Coach Danny Miles.
"I was blown away that this happened in my life," said Kresse after he got the call about the Hall from National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Executive Director Jim Haney. "I cried for a little and (his wife) Sue gave me a couple of Kleenex tissues."
A native New Yorker and former assistant coach of the New York Nets and St. John's University, Kresse built College of Charleston into an NAIA power in the 1980s, highlighted by that national championship in 1983.He spent 23 years as the head coach at The College, winning 560 games to just 143 losses from 1979 to 2002. His 79.7 percent career-winning percentage is the fifth highest all-time among NCAA Division I coaches behind Claire Bee, Adolph Rupp, Mark Few and John Wooden.
After the Cougars transitioned to NCAA Division I, Kresse's teams reached four NCAA Tournaments and two NITs between 1994 and 1999. He won four conference Coach of the Year awards following the jump to NCAA Division I after earlier receiving five District Coach of the Year honors from the NAIA.
"We were an NAIA program and we moved to Division I," he said. "We won close games. We pulled some upsets along the way to build a name for ourselves and national recognition. College of Charleston Basketball was put on the map with some of those wins along the way.
"To go into this Hall of Fame with these famous coaches and players, I'm humbled. My mentor, (Former St. John's Head Coach) Lou Carnesecca, always carried a slogan in his wallet that said, 'a proud peacock today is a feather duster tomorrow.' I'm still humbled, but very appreciative of this award."
During his time with the Cougars, College of Charleston would become known as "Giant Killers" with Top 25 victories over Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Maryland and Stanford. The program also achieved its highest-ever national ranking of No. 16 in 1997 and 1999 under Kresse.
Kresse is an icon in the Lowcountry, not only in sports, but on campus and in the community. He annually hosts the John Kresse Invitational, a fundraising golf tournament that supports student-athlete scholarships at CofC through The Cougar Club, the athletic department's fundraising arm.
"I've seen the campus grow from 3,000 students to 11,000 students today," he said. "There have been so many wonderful changes to the campus and in the city. I feel very proud to have represented The College. The best 40 years of my life have been right here in Charleston."
In recognition of Kresse's decorated career, the playing surface at CofC's TD Arena was named John Kresse Court. The Cougars have won 110 games to date on that court since the venue first opened in 2008 – showing Kresse's legacy and impact of building College of Charleston Basketball into what we know of it today.
"I share this award with all of my former assistant coaches and all of our great players throughout the years," he said. "Every head coach knows that they can't get it done without those types of people. I also share this award with my family: my wife, Sue Sommer-Kresse, my sons, Ryan and John, my friends and the fans and proud supporters of the College of Charleston. We all did it together."
JOHN KRESSE BY THE NUMBERS
1 – The number of national championship titles (1983 NAIA National Champions)
2 – The number of NIT Appearances (1995 and 1996)
4 – The number of wins over Top-25 ranked opponents including No. 3 North Carolina in 1998
4 – The number of NCAA Tournament appearances (1994, 1997, 1998 and 1999)
5 – The number of Hall of Fames Kresse has been inducted into
16 – College of Charleston's highest Top 25 national ranking under Kresse in 1997 and 1999 (AP Poll)
23 – The number of years he coached at College of Charleston
560 – The number of career wins from 1979 to 2002
.797 – His career winning percentage at College of Charleston
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