Jim Valvano (1946 – 1993), known as "Jimmy V", was an American college basketball coach, broadcaster, and motivational speaker. He is best remembered for leading NC State to an improbable NCAA championship in 1983 and for his inspiring speech at the 1993 ESPY Awards, delivered while battling terminal cancer.
Born in Queens, New York, Valvano played basketball at Rutgers University, where he was a standout point guard. After graduating in 1967, he began coaching, working at schools like Johns Hopkins, Bucknell, and Iona before becoming NC State’s head coach in 1980. Under his leadership, the Wolfpack shocked the nation by defeating Houston in the 1983 NCAA title game, an upset cemented by his ecstatic on-court celebration.
Valvano later became NC State’s athletic director, but controversy over academic oversight led to his resignation in 1990. Transitioning to broadcasting, he became a beloved analyst for ESPN and ABC Sports. In 1992, he was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma. Just weeks before his death in 1993, he delivered an emotional ESPY speech, announcing the creation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, with the motto: "Don't give up. Don't ever give up".
Valvano died at 47, but his legacy endures through his foundation, which has raised millions for cancer research. His story of perseverance continues to inspire athletes, coaches, and cancer patients worldwide.