Washington State University - Chinook Yearbook (Pullman, WA)

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GEoooooRGE The voice echoed through the coliscum, announcing the names of the players and drawing cheers from the capacity crowd. lFinally, the last name is announced, uhead coach for the Cougars, Ceooooorge lRaveling.n Pmaveling paces the sidelines waiting for the start ofthe final home contest ofthe season. A ame that will end in a dramatic last second ipin by sophomore Bryan Pollard and lift Washington State University to its first un- beaten home season in history. The red directoris chair at the sidelines ymbolizes Ravelingis coaching style. It is his style that has built the Cougars into con- tenders. He will work his players, the ref- erees and the crowd with an intensity rarely lfound. He is the director. When George Piaveling came to VVashing- ton State, the Cougars were the doormats of the then Pacific-8 Conference. His squads struggled through seasons of 6-20, 8-21 and 10-16. In 1980, however, the Cougars finished 2-6 and third place in thc Pacific-10. With he record, the Cougars received a NCAA post season bid. It was the first post season tournament appearance in the NCAA's since the 1941 squad finished second to NVisconsin. The Cougars returned to the NCAA tour- ney in 1983, Ravelingys last year in Pullman, and as a group of uno name - no talentn players, finished with the schoolis best record of 23-7. Second in the PAC-10. In the last eight seasons, the Cougars have gone 143-79 for a .644 winning percentage, third only to UCLA and Oregon State. Raveling's success as a coach, blended with an outgoing personality, have made him a favorite among his peers and they have turned to George on numerous occasions when looking for a coach for all-star and inter- national squads. In 1984 he willjoin Indianais Bobby Knight as an assistant coach for the U.S. squad at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Raveling began his coaching career as an assistant at Villinova before moving to Mary- land as an assistant under Lefty Dreisell. Washington State hired the young Ravel- ing as its new head coach and the Pullman campus became his home for the next 11 seasons. After the current season, he left for the greener pastures of Iowa. Iowa recruited Raveling to take over a suc- cessful program that has been to the NCAA tournament consistantly, but a school that lost its coach to the warm weather of Arizona. He will be missed in the Palouse. Cougar fans will miss his hell-raising on the sidelines, his arms raised high, trying to get the fans of Friel Court to their feet. He came to Washington State and turned an up-and-down program into a winner. He produced excitement in a school that was tired of being at the bottom of its league. Len Stevens, the new Cougar leader, takes over a program with a future. Ile may never fill the void left by Raveling, but he doesnft have or expect to. Stevens said he couldift jump as high or tell black jokes on himself, but he would continue in the Washington State winning tradition. Directing the Cougars to the top of collegiate basketball. VVashington State basketball will survive the loss ofits leader. But look out Iowa, here comes George. - Troy Bull 21