NC State is back to the men’s Final Four for the first time since 1983, and fans are paying homage to the coach who got them there. Jim Valvano’s grave at Oakwood Cemetary outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, was covered in NC State gear, Wolfpack red rose and much more to honor the late coach ahead of the Wolfpack’s Final Four appearance next weekend in Phoenix.
Athletic college basketball writer Brendan Marks posted a photo of Valvano’s grave following NC State’s upset win over Duke on Sunday.
My dad is buried in the same cemetery as Jim Valvano (and Lorenzo Charles). Every time I come see Dad, I swing by Jimmy V’s headstone for a second.
I’m not the only one today. pic.twitter.com/gz1T6RcvV5
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) April 1, 2024
Valvano led NC State to a national championship in 1983, which was also the Wolfpack’s last appearance in the Final Four. He coached at NC State through 1990 (and was its athletic director from 1986-89) before joining ESPN as a broadcaster.
Valvano is perhaps most well-known for inspiring the cancer research charity marathon “V Week” at ESPN. The company adopted Valvano’s iconic “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up” slogan for its fundraising after Valvano delivered the line at the 1993 ESPYs, shortly before his death from adenocarcinoma.
The court at NC State is named after Valvano, and he is widely credited with inventing the famous NCAA tournament phrase “survive and advance.”
Valvano is likely on the mind of many this week, a beloved figure across college basketball and particularly in its heartland of North Carolina. Almost exactly four decades after Valvano led the team to a championship and just more than four decades following his death, the Wolfpack faithful are keeping the great coach’s memory alive.
NC State takes on Zach Edey and Purdue on Saturday night in Phoenix.
