George Raveling, spark behind 1984 Jordan-Nike deal, dead at 88

George Raveling, a basketball Hall of Famer and the first Black head coach in what is now the Pac-12 Conference, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 88 years old.

Raveling’s family announced the news on Sept. 2, the day after his passing, 

“There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants-and to the world,” they said in a statement. 

“He will be profoundly missed, yet his aura, energy, divine presence, and timeless wisdom live on in all those he touched and transformed.”

Born in 1937 in Washington, D.C., Raveling was raised by his grandmother after the death of his father and the institutionalization of his mother. His first exposure to basketball came at St. Michael's Agricultural and Industrial School in Hoban Heights, Pennsylvania, where he began to play seriously as a freshman in high school.

Among the mentors he met during this time was Fr Jerome Nadine, who had been ordained in 1958 as the first Black priest for the Diocese of Syracuse. While connected to St. Michael’s, Nadine encouraged Raveling to join the school’s basketball team, and he quickly became a solid player while also converting to Catholicism.

Raveling matriculated to play basketball for Villanova University in 1957, leading the team to back-to-back appearances in the National Invitation Tournament in 1959 and 1960. A transcendent rebounder, he was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1960 NBA draft, but instead became a marketing analyst. While working security for the March on Washington in 1963, Raveling was gifted a handwritten draft of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Raveling was hired as an assistant coach for Villanova the same year.

“He left a significant mark on Villanova University and the sport of basketball,” said Villanova president Fr Peter M. Donohue, OSA.

“He chose Villanova to be the steward of Dr. King's famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, broke down racial barriers as a coach, and became a well-respected and admired figure amongst his professional and personal peers. George will be missed, and our prayers are with the entire Raveling family.”

In 1969, Raveling took an assistant position with the Maryland Terrapins near his hometown, serving under head coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell. In 1972, Raveling made history when he was hired as the head coach of the Washington State Cougars, becoming the first Black person to hold such a position in what was then the Pac-8 Conference. He led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure, including in 1980—the team’s first since 1941.

“Raveling was an iconic figure not just at Washington State, but throughout the world of athletics,” said WSU athletic director Anne McCoy. 

“His positive impact on the athletics history at Washington State will continue to resonate through those he came in contact with, including student-athletes, staff, fans and alumni.”

Following his success at Washington State, Raveling was hired to succeed Lute Olson as coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1983, where he led the team to consecutive March Madness berths in 1985 and 1986. In 1984, he served as an assistant coach for the U.S. men’s national basketball team, where he connected with Michael Jordan during the team’s gold-medal run. During this period, Raveling was the first to suggest to Jordan that he sign an endorsement deal with Nike, a partnership that produced the globally recognized “Air Jordan” brand.

“I signed with Nike because of George,” Jordan said in a statement shared by Raveling’s close friend, philosophy influencer Ryan Holiday. “Without him, there would be no Air Jordan.”

Raveling’s final coaching stop came in 1986, when he was hired to lead the University of Southern California Trojans. His tenure began with controversy, as a group of star players clashed with Raveling over who would be on his coaching staff. Sophomores Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble, and Tom Lewis eventually had their scholarships revoked, and the new-look team went on to make the NCAA Tournament in 1991 and 1992. Raveling won several Coach of the Year honors in the latter campaign.

In 1994, Raveling was seriously injured in a car crash in Los Angeles, wherein he suffered broken ribs, a fractured pelvis and clavicle, and a collapsed lung. He remained in the ICU for two weeks and ultimately retired from coaching the same year at age 57 due to his injuries and rehab process.

During his two-decade head coaching career, Raveling was thrice voted Pac-8 Coach of the Year, and was runner-up for AP Coach of the Year in 1983. In 2013, he received the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; he was himself inducted into the HOF in 2015.

In 2023, Raveling was portrayed in the award-winning film “Air,” which told the story of Michael Jordan’s signing with Nike in 1984. Raveling’s inclusion in the narrative came at the request of Jordan himself, and the coach was played by Marlon Wayans (who previously shared the screen with Raveling in the 1997 film “The 6th Man”).

From his retirement until his death, Raveling served in various roles with Nike, including as a grassroots promoter and later as an international sports marketing director. He was invited to the company at the request of its cofounder, Phil Knight, and helped develop the Nike Hoop Summit to promote international youth player development, among various other projects.

Raveling was the author of three books, two of them on the art of rebounding in basketball. His memoir, “What You're Made for: Powerful Life Lessons from My Career in Sports,”—coauthored with Ryan Holiday—was released earlier this year.

Raveling is survived by his wife, Delores; two children, Mark Raveling and Litishia Hall; and grandchildren. No funeral details have been released by the family, who have requested privacy.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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