View source for Jim Valvano

{{short description|American basketball player, coach, and broadcaster (1946–1993)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{redirect|Jimmy V|the actor|Jimmy Vee}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Jim Valvano
| image = Jim Valvano, Duke Chronicle 1982-11-30.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Valvano in 1982
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|3|10}}
| birth_place = [[Queens]], New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1993|4|28|1946|3|10}}
| death_place = [[Durham, North Carolina]], U.S.
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1964–1967
| player_team1 = [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball|Rutgers]]
| player_positions = [[Point guard]]
| coach_years1 = 1967–1969
| coach_team1 = [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball|Rutgers]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1969–1970
| coach_team2 = [[Johns Hopkins Blue Jays men's basketball|Johns Hopkins]]
| coach_years3 = 1970–1972
| coach_team3 = [[Connecticut Huskies men's basketball|Connecticut]] (assistant)
| coach_years4 = 1972–1975
| coach_team4 = [[Bucknell Bison men's basketball|Bucknell]]
| coach_years5 = 1975–1980
| coach_team5 = [[Iona Gaels men's basketball|Iona]]
| coach_years6 = 1980–1990
| coach_team6 = [[NC State Wolfpack men's basketball|NC State]]
| admin_years1 = 1977–1980
| admin_team1 = [[Iona Gaels men's basketball|Iona]]
| admin_years2 = 1986–1989
| admin_team2 = [[NC State Wolfpack|NC State]]
| overall_record = 346–210
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 12–8 ([[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I]])<br />0–1 ([[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]])
| championships = [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball champions|NCAA Division I tournament]] ([[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1983]])<br />[[List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach|NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four]] ([[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1983]])<br />2 [[ACC men's basketball tournament|ACC tournament]] ([[1983 ACC men's basketball tournament|1983]], [[1987 ACC men's basketball tournament|1987]])<br />2 ACC regular season (1985, 1989)
| awards = [[Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year|ACC Coach of The Year]] (1989)<br />[[Arthur Ashe Courage Award]] (1993)
| coaching_records = 
}}
'''James Thomas Anthony Valvano''' (March 10, 1946 – April 28, 1993), nicknamed '''Jimmy V''', was an American [[college basketball]] player, coach, and broadcaster.<ref name=atrosi>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1993/01/11/127875/as-time-runs-out-gravely-ill-with-cancer-jim-valvano-is-fighting-for-his-life-the-same-way-he-coached-basketball-by-learning-all-he-can-talking-up-a-storm-and-insisting-on-the-last-shot|magazine=Sports Illustrated|title=As time runs out|last=Smith|first=Gary|agency=(cover story)|date=January 11, 1993|page=10}}</ref><ref name="wnsscccr">{{Cite news |last=Wojciechowski |first=Gene |author-link=Gene Wojciechowski |date=April 29, 1993 |title=Valvano succumbs to cancer |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ms0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=vBQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2337%2C5284571 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=North Carolina |page=1A |agency=(Los Angeles Times)}}</ref> Valvano had a successful coaching career with multiple schools, culminating at [[NC State Wolfpack men's basketball|NC State]]. While the head coach at NC State, his team won the [[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball title]] against improbable odds.<ref name="sillckp">{{cite news |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1983/04/11/619339/state-had-the-stuff |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Kirkpatrick |first=Curry |title=State had the stuff|date=April 11, 1983 |page=18}}</ref><ref name="wpmrlnd">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vcksAAAAIBAJ&sjid=chMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6570%2C1499512 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=North Carolina|agency=Associated Press |title=Wolfpack miracle rules land |date=April 5, 1983 |page=1D}}</ref><ref name="wpscft">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EapRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SxIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6614%2C787183|title=Wolfpack stuffs Cougars for title|newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel|date=April 5, 1983|page=1–part 2}}</ref> Valvano is remembered for his ecstatic celebration after winning the national championship game against the heavily favored [[1982–83 Houston Cougars men's basketball team|Houston Cougars]].

Valvano is also remembered for an inspirational and memorable speech delivered at the 1993 [[ESPY Award]]s while terminally ill with cancer. Valvano implored the audience to laugh, think, and cry each day and announced the formation of The [[V Foundation]] for Cancer Research whose motto would be "Don't give up. Don't ever give up".<ref>[http://www.sweetspeeches.com/s/2557-jimmy-valvano-espy-awards-acceptance-speech-don-t-ever-give-up Full Video & Transcript of ESPY speech] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203220409/http://www.sweetspeeches.com/s/2557-jimmy-valvano-espy-awards-acceptance-speech-don-t-ever-give-up |date= December 3, 2011}}</ref> He gave the speech less than two months before his death from [[adenocarcinoma]].<ref name="jvhuinth">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1993/05/10/128539/jimmy-vee-hung-in-there-the-former-basketball-coachs-yearlong-battle-with-cancer-taught-us-all-a-lesson-in-courage|magazine=Sports Illustrated|title=Jimmy Vee hung in there|last=Smith|first=Gary|date=May 10, 1993|page=72}}</ref> The [[ESPY Award]]s now include the [[Jimmy V Award]] named in his honor. Each year, a college basketball event called the [[Jimmy V Classic]] is held in his honor and in support of cancer research.

==Early years==
Valvano was the middle child of Rocco and Angelina Valvano, and was of Italian descent. He was born in [[Corona, Queens|Corona]], [[Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref name=NYTObit>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/29/obituaries/jim-valvano-colorful-college-basketball-coach-is-dead-at-47.html?scp=1&sq=valvano&st=cse|title=Jim Valvano, colorful college basketball coach, is dead at 47|newspaper=New York Times|last=Thomas|first=Robert M. Jr. |date=April 29, 1993|access-date=October 11, 2009}}</ref> Valvano was a three-sport athlete at [[Seaford High School (New York)|Seaford High School]] in [[Seaford, New York|Seaford]] on [[Long Island]] and graduated in 1963.<ref name=latobt>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-29-sp-29011-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|last=Wojciechowski |first=Gene |title=Valvano dies after cancer fight |date=April 29, 1993|access-date=April 2, 2013}}</ref>

Football coach [[Vince Lombardi]] was Valvano's role model. Valvano told an [[ESPY]] audience, on March 3, 1993, that he took some of Lombardi's inspirational speeches out of the book ''Commitment to Excellence'', and used them with his team. Valvano discussed how he planned to use Lombardi's speech to the [[Green Bay Packers]] in front of his Rutgers freshman basketball team prior to his first game as their coach. He also mentioned that he accidentally told his team to "fight for the Green Bay Packers."

==College playing career==
Valvano was a [[point guard]] at [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball|Rutgers University]] in 1967, where he partnered with first-team All-American [[Bob Lloyd (basketball)|Bob Lloyd]] in the backcourt. Under the leadership of Valvano and Lloyd, Rutgers finished third in the [[1967 National Invitation Tournament]] (NIT), which was the last basketball tournament held at the third [[Madison Square Garden (1925)|Madison Square Garden]]. (The [[1967 NCAA University Division basketball tournament|1967 NCAA tournament]] field was just 23 teams and the NIT invited 14 teams.) He was named Senior Athlete of the Year at Rutgers in 1967, and graduated with a degree in English in 1967.

==Coaching career==
[[File:Jim Valvano coaching (Duke Chronicle 1983-04-04).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Valvano coaching N.C. State in 1983]]
Following graduation, Valvano began his coaching career at Rutgers as the freshman coach and assistant for the varsity.<ref name=latobt/> His 19-year career as a head basketball coach began at [[Johns Hopkins Blue Jays|Johns Hopkins]] in [[Baltimore]] for a season; he was then an assistant at [[Connecticut Huskies men's basketball|Connecticut]] for two years. Following that, he was the head coach at [[Bucknell Bison men's basketball|Bucknell]], [[Iona Gaels men's basketball|Iona]], and [[NC State Wolfpack men's basketball|North Carolina State]]. Valvano coached the Iona Gaels team during their highly successful 1979–80 season and a victory in the first round of the NCAA tournament, only to lose a close game to powerhouse Georgetown in the second game of the tournament. Following [[Norm Sloan]]'s departure to [[Florida Gators men's basketball|Florida]], Valvano was hired at NC State on March 27, 1980, and made his debut on November 29, when the Wolfpack defeated [[UNC Wilmington Seahawks men's basketball|UNC-Wilmington]] 83–59.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jim Valvano's debut (11/29/1980)|url=http://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog/1980-11-29-jim-valvano-s-debut|access-date=4 January 2012|author=Historical State: History in Red and White|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530044500/http://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog/1980-11-29-jim-valvano-s-debut|archive-date=30 May 2012}}</ref>  During his ten seasons at NC State, Valvano's teams were the ACC's tournament champions in 1983 and 1987 and its regular season champions in 1985 and 1989. The Wolfpack won the NCAA championship in 1983,<ref>{{cite web|title=Men's Basketball wins NCAA championship (4/1983)|url=http://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog/1983-04-men-s-basketball-wins-ncaa-championship|access-date=4 January 2012|author=Historical State: History in Red and White|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522012248/http://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog/1983-04-men-s-basketball-wins-ncaa-championship|archive-date=22 May 2012}}</ref> in addition to advancing to the NCAA Elite 8 in [[1986 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1985]] and [[1986 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1986]]. "Coach&nbsp;V" was voted ACC Coach of the Year in 1989. Valvano became NC State's athletic director in 1986. His overall record at NC State was 209–114 ({{winning percentage|209|114}}) and his career record as a head coach was 346–210 ({{winning percentage|346|210}}).

Valvano is most recognized for his reaction of running around on the court looking for somebody to [[hug]] in the moments after the Wolfpack victory came after the game-winning shot in the [[1983 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|1983 NCAA finals]]. [[Dereck Whittenburg]] heaved a last-second desperation shot that was caught short of the rim and dunked by [[Lorenzo Charles]] as time expired.<ref name=sillckp/><ref name=wpmrlnd/>

[[File:NC State basketball 1985-86 card front (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Valvano circa 1985]]

===Accusations of rules violations===
In 1989, accusations of rules violations surfaced in the book ''Personal Fouls'' by [[Peter Golenbock]]. These accusations centered mostly on high school All-American [[Chris Washburn]], who managed only a 470 out of 1600 on his [[SAT]] (with 400 being the starting score).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19850219&id=tK4xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FuUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2687,3323984|newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World|last=Vecsey|first=George|title=State's Washburn wasn't recruited on basis of academic qualifications|agency=(N.Y. Times News Service)|date=February 19, 1985|page=11}}</ref> A 1989 NCAA investigation cleared Valvano, but found that players sold shoes and game tickets. As a result, NC State placed its basketball program on probation for two years (the maximum) and was banned from participating in the 1990 NCAA tournament. The state-appointed Poole Commission issued a 32-page report that concluded that there were no major violations of NCAA regulations, and that Valvano and his staff's inadequate oversight of players' academic progress violated "the spirit, not the letter of the law."

After this report, Valvano was forced to resign as the school's athletic director in October 1989, but remained as basketball coach through the [[1989–90 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|1989–90]] season.<ref name=vvrtq>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XO4iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_PkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6864%2C606035 |work=Spokane Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Valvano ready to quit NC State |date=March 5, 1990 |page=C5}}</ref> Under subsequent pressure from the school's faculty and new chancellor, Valvano negotiated a settlement with NC State and resigned as basketball coach on April 7, 1990. Six separate entities investigated Valvano and the NC State basketball program including the NC State Faculty Senate, the North Carolina Attorney General, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, the NC State Board of Trustees, and the NCAA. None of them found any evidence of recruiting violations or academic or financial impropriety on the part of Valvano or his staff. Dave Didion, the NCAA investigator handling Valvano's case, wrote a personal letter to Valvano, saying, among other things, "If I had a son, I would feel comfortable with you as his coach and encourage him to learn from you."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chandlert.wordpress.com/jim-valvano/ncaa-investigator-quote/ |title=NCAA investigator letter |author=Dave Didion |date=18 January 2010 |access-date=June 28, 2020}}</ref> A school investigation did reveal that Valvano's [[student athlete|student-athlete]]s did not perform well in the classroom, as only 11 of the players that he coached prior to 1988 had maintained an average of C or better.<ref name=si90jn>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1990/06/18/122160/take-the-v-out-of-tv-please-jim-valvano-is-a-bad-choice-for-the-broadcast-booth |magazine=Sports Illustrated |title=Take the V out of TV, please |last=Johnson |first=Roy S. |date=June 18, 1990 |page=90}}</ref>

Valvano's version of these events can be found in his 1991 [[autobiography]], ''Valvano: They Gave Me a Lifetime Contract, and Then They Declared Me Dead''.

==After coaching==
After his coaching career, Valvano was a [[Sports commentator|broadcaster]] for [[College Basketball on ESPN|ESPN]] and [[College Basketball on ABC|ABC Sports]],<ref name=vscwab>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IfxNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3567%2C830085 |work=Free Lance-Star |location=Fredericksburg, Virginia |agency=Associated Press |title=Valvano signs contract with ABC |date=June 5, 1990 |page=12}}</ref> including a stint as a sideline reporter for the inaugural season of the [[World League of American Football]]. In 1992, Valvano won a [[Cable ACE Award]] for Commentator/Analyst for NCAA basketball broadcasts. From time to time he was paired with basketball analyst [[Dick Vitale]], dubbed the "Killer Vees", with similar voices and exuberant styles. The two even made a [[cameo appearance]], playing the role of professional movers (V&V Movers), on an episode of ''[[The Cosby Show]]''.

Valvano created JTV enterprises to guide many of his entrepreneurial endeavors. He gave hundreds of motivational speeches across the country and was a featured guest on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' and ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]''.

==Cancer==
In June 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with metastatic [[adenocarcinoma]], a type of glandular cancer that can spread to the bones.<ref name=atrosi/><ref name=jvhuinth/><ref name=latobt/><ref name=edsfjv>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=60FWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fuoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6616,4247427|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard|title=Each day special for Jim Valvano|last=Bock|first=Hal|agency=Associated Press|date=November 19, 1992|page=3D}}</ref><ref name=battoop>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z1ZSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2DYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3228,1305471|newspaper=Post and Courier|location=[[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston, SC]]|title=Jim Valvano battles his toughest opponent|last=Meachem|first=Matt|agency=(Tribune News Services)|date=December 4, 1992|page=35–TV|access-date=February 21, 2016|archive-date=April 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418015523/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z1ZSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2DYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3228,1305471|url-status=dead}}</ref>

One of Valvano's most memorable motivational speeches was delivered at NC State's [[Reynolds Coliseum]], less than 10 weeks before his death, during the 10-year commemoration of the 1983 NCAA championship.<ref name=vbirfftm>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H60sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vxQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2789%2C2511887 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=North Carolina|last=Carree |first=Chuck |title=Valvano back in Reynolds for 1st time |date=February 22, 1993 |page=5B}}</ref> It was during this speech on February 21 that Valvano stressed the importance of hope, dreams, love, and persistence, and included his famous "Don't give up, don't ever give up" quotation.

===ESPY speech===
Eleven days later on Thursday, March 4, 1993, he spoke at the first [[ESPY Award]]s at [[Madison Square Garden]],<ref name=lwthree>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tycxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UQMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4545%2C965042 |newspaper=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |agency=Associated Press |title=Jordan, Laettner win three ESPY awards each |date=March 5, 1993 |page=18}}</ref> presented by ESPN.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/HuoVM9nm42E| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Jimmy's 1993 ESPY Speech |publisher=YouTube |date=2008-09-28 |access-date=2012-10-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref> While accepting the inaugural [[Arthur Ashe for Courage Award|Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award]], he announced the creation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer.<ref name=varecad>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2-UyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kQcGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3549%2C656034 |newspaper=Free Lance-Star |location=Fredericksburg, Virginia |agency=Associated Press |last=Nelson |first=John |title=Valvano receives award, announces foundation plan |date=March 5, 1993 |page=A8}}</ref>  He announced that the foundation's motto would be "Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up". During his speech, the teleprompter stated that he had thirty seconds left, to which Valvano responded, "That screen up there is flashing 30 seconds, like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body and I'm worried about some guy in the back going '30 seconds'". His speech included this statement:

<blockquote>To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.<ref>{{cite web|last=Valvano|first=Jim|title=ESPY Awards Speech|url=http://www.jimmyv.org/about-us/remembering-jim/jimmy-v-espy-awards-speech/|access-date=4 January 2012|location=The V Foundation|date=4 March 1993|archive-date=18 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418011311/http://www.jimmyv.org/about-us/remembering-jim/jimmy-v-espy-awards-speech/|url-status=dead}}</ref></blockquote>

Valvano's ESPY acceptance speech became legendary. He closed by saying that "Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all." He received a standing ovation.

Valvano's hair was expected to fall out with chemotherapy treatment, but it did not. Along with his ever-positive outlook, this masked to the public how serious his sickness was and the amount of pain he was dealing with.<ref name=atrosi/><ref name=edsfjv/> He preemptively had his head shaved and was prepared to use a variety of whimsical wigs on his broadcasts, but his own hair remained.<ref name=jvhuinth/>

===Yankees===
New York native Valvano had always wanted to throw out the first pitch at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]. He had been given that honor for the 1993 season opener to be held on April 12,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/10/sports/sports-people-baseball-valvano-gets-wish-to-throw-first-pitch.html|title=SPORTS PEOPLE: BASEBALL; Valvano Gets Wish To Throw First Pitch|date=1993-01-10|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-04-25|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19930410&id=3HxOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vRQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4622,3903141|title = Star-News - Google News Archive Search}}</ref> but he was too ill to do so. Coaching rival and friend [[Dean Smith]], one week removed from leading North Carolina to the national championship, substituted for Valvano.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-10-sp-21227-story.html|title=BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Raines Suffers Thumb Injury|date=1993-04-10|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-04-25|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref>

==Death==
Valvano died at age 47 on April 28, 1993 at [[Duke University Hospital|Duke University Medical Center]] in [[Durham, North Carolina]], less than two months after his famous ESPY speech, following a nearly year long battle with metastatic [[adenocarcinoma]] of unknown origin. He died 10 years to the month after winning the national championship in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament.<ref name=wnsscccr/><ref name=NYTObit /><ref name=vdaylb>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ElkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0tkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1462%2C7874383 |work=Daily Reporter |location=Spencer, Iowa |agency=Associated Press |title=Valvano dies after year-long bout with cancer |date=April 29, 1993 |page=6}}</ref><ref name=latobt/> He is buried in the Cedar Hill Section of [[Historic Oakwood Cemetery|Oakwood Cemetery]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]. His tombstone reads: "Take time every day to laugh, to think, to cry."

==Legacy==
In 1983, Valvano coined the phrase "survive and advance".<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/survive_and_advance |title =Barry Popik|first=Barry|last=Popik|website=www.barrypopik.com}}</ref> A 1996 [[television movie|TV movie]] titled ''Never Give Up: The Jimmy V Story'', starred [[Anthony LaPaglia]] as Valvano. The movie was filmed in various locations including [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]], North Carolina, and on the campus of the [[University of North Carolina Wilmington]].

In 1993, Valvano was inducted into the Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1999, Valvano was inducted into both the Hall of Distinguished Alumni at Rutgers University and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2004, Valvano was inducted into the [[National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame]]. In 2012, he was named to the first class of the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wralsportsfan.com/ncsu/story/11251026/|title=Yow, Valvano among first 10 in NC State Hall of Fame |date=26 June 2012 |publisher=www.wralsportsfan.com}}</ref>

On March 17, 2013, ESPN broadcast "Survive and Advance," a documentary on North Carolina State's 1983 championship run, as part of its ''[[30 for 30|30 for 30 Volume II]]'' anthology series. Along with the 1983 season, it also covered the final months of his life during his battle with cancer. The documentary was first broadcast on the 30th anniversary of the Wolfpack's double overtime victory against [[Pepperdine Waves men's basketball|Pepperdine]] in the first round of the 1983 NCAA tournament.

On March 1, 2016, a book by [[John Feinstein]] titled ''The Legends Club: [[Dean Smith]], [[Mike Krzyzewski]], Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry'' was released to glowing reviews.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-legends-club-john-feinstein-smith-krzyzewski-valvano-20160308-column.html| title = 'The Legends Club' by John Feinstein showcases Smith-Krzyzewski-Valvano dynamic|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160418225021/http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-legends-club-john-feinstein-smith-krzyzewski-valvano-20160308-column.html|archive-date= April 18, 2016|website = [[Chicago Tribune]]| date = March 8, 2016|access-date= January 26, 2025}}</ref>  Krzyzewski arrived at Duke the same season as Valvano did at North Carolina State.

In 2018, North Carolina State University's William Neal Reynolds Coliseum was renamed James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum in honor of Valvano.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/latest-news/article222686245.html |title=The Valvano name will always be attached to NC State's Reynolds Coliseum |first=Chip |last=Alexander |newspaper=Raleigh News and Observer |date=December 5, 2018 |access-date=June 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum | website=NC State University Athletics | date=2024-11-19 | url=https://gopack.com/facilities/james-t-valvano-arena-at-william-neal-reynolds-coliseum/20 | access-date=2025-09-04}}</ref>

On August 12, 2023, Valvano was posthumously inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] for his contributions to the game both on and off the court.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36029098/gregg-popovich-dirk-nowitzki-dwyane-wade-hall-fame|title=Gregg Popovich, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade into Hall of Fame|author=<!--Staff-->|website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press|date=April 1, 2023|access-date=April 4, 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Valvano married his high school sweetheart Pam and they had three daughters. His younger brother, [[Bob Valvano|Bob]], is a sportscaster and former basketball coach.

==Head coaching record==
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason= | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[Johns Hopkins Blue Jays men's basketball|Johns Hopkins Blue Jays]]
 | conference = [[Middle Atlantic Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1969
 | endyear    = 1970
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = 1969–70
 | name         = Johns Hopkins
 | overall      = 10–9
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Johns Hopkins
 | overall    = 10–9
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[Bucknell Bison men's basketball|Bucknell Bison]]
 | conference = [[Middle Atlantic Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1972
 | endyear    = 1975
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1972–73]]
 | name         = Bucknell
 | overall      = 11–14
 | conference   = 6–4
 | confstanding = T–2nd
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1973–74 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1973–74]]
 | name         = Bucknell
 | overall      = 8–16
 | conference   = 2–8
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1974–75 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1974–75]]
 | name         = Bucknell
 | overall      = 14–12
 | conference   = 4–4
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Bucknell
 | overall    = 33–42
 | confrecord = 12–16
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[Iona Gaels men's basketball|Iona Gaels]]
 | conference = [[NCAA Division I independent schools|NCAA Division I independent]]
 | startyear  = 1975
 | endyear    = 1980
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1975–76 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1975–76]]
 | name         = Iona
 | overall      = 11–15
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1976–77]]
 | name         = Iona
 | overall      = 15–10
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1977–78]]
 | name         = Iona
 | overall      = 17–10
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1978–79]]
 | name         = [[1978–79 Iona Gaels men's basketball team|Iona]]
 | overall      = 23–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = [[1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|NCAA Division I First Round]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1979–80]]
 | name         = [[1979–80 Iona Gaels men's basketball team|Iona]]
 | overall      = 28–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = [[1980 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Second Round]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Iona
 | overall    = 94–45
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NC State Wolfpack men's basketball|NC State Wolfpack]]
 | conference = [[Atlantic Coast Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1980
 | endyear    = 1990
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1980–81]]
 | name         = [[1980–81 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 14–13
 | conference   = 4–10
 | confstanding = 7th
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1981–82]]
 | name         = [[1981–82 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 22–10
 | conference   = 7–7
 | confstanding = 4th
 | postseason   = [[1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I First Round]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | season       = [[1982–83 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1982–83]]
 | name         = [[1982–83 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 26–10
 | conference   = 8–6
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = [[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I champion]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1983–84]]
 | name         = [[1983–84 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 19–14
 | conference   = 4–10
 | confstanding = 7th
 | postseason   = [[1984 National Invitation Tournament|NIT First Round]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1984–85]]
 | name         = [[1984–85 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 23–10
 | conference   = 9–5
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Elite Eight]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1985–86]]
 | name         = [[1985–86 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 21–13
 | conference   = 7–7
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | postseason   = [[1986 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Elite Eight]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference tournament
 | season       = [[1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1986–87]]
 | name         = [[1986–87 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 20–15
 | conference   = 6–8
 | confstanding = 6th
 | postseason   = [[1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I First Round]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1987–88 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1987–88]]
 | name         = [[1987–88 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 24–8
 | conference   = 10–4
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = [[1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I First Round]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1988–89 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1988–89]]
 | name         = [[1988–89 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 22–9
 | conference   = 10–4
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1989 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Sweet 16]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1989–90]]
 | name         = [[1989–90 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team|NC State]]
 | overall      = 18–12
 | conference   = 6–8
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = NC State
 | overall    = 209–114
 | confrecord = 71–69
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 346–210
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = no
}}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=Cairns|first=Bob|title=V & Me: Everybody's Favorite Jim Valvano Story|publisher=Alexander Books|location=Alexander, NC|year=2005|isbn=978-1-57090-229-1}}
* {{cite video |people=Cole, Marcus (Director); Greenman, Adam (Writer) |date=1996 |title=Never Give Up: The Jimmy V Story |medium=Motion picture (made for television) |publisher=Daniel H. Blatt Productions |location=Sherman Oaks, CA }}
* {{cite video | people=ESPN |date=1993 |title=ESPY Awards|medium=Television |publisher=ESPN Original Entertainment |location=Bristol, CT }}
* {{cite book|last=Towle|first=Mike|title=I Remember Jim Valvano: Personal Reflections and Anecdotes About College Basketball's Most Exuberant Final Four Coach, As Told by the People and Players Who Knew Him|publisher=Cumberland House Publishing|location=Nashville, TN|year=2001|isbn=978-1-58182-219-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Valvano|first=Bob|title=The Gifts of Jimmy V: A Coach's Legacy|publisher=Triumph Books|location=Chicago, IL|year=2001|isbn=978-1-892049-30-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/giftsofjimmyvcoa00valv}}
* {{cite book|last=Valvano|first=Jim|author2=Kirkpatrick, Curry |title=Valvano: They Gave Me a Lifetime Contract, and Then They Declared Me Dead |publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York, NY|year=1992|isbn=978-0-671-73254-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Wojnarowski|first=Adrian|title=Jimmy V: The Life and Death of Jim Valvano|publisher=Gotham Books|location=New York, NY|year=2008|isbn=978-1-59240-354-7}}

==External links==
* [http://jimmyv.org/ V Foundation for Cancer Research]
* {{Find a Grave|8076}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Valvano, Jim}}
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