Press Maravich
 |
|
| Sport(s) | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Current position | |
| Title | Head coach |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | August 29, 1915 Aliquippa, Pennsylvania |
| Died | April 15, 1987 (aged 71) Covington, Louisiana |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1949–1950 | West Virginia Wesleyan |
| 1950–1952 | Davis & Elkins |
| 1952–1954 | Aliquippa HS |
| 1954–1956 | Baldwin HS |
| 1956–1962 | Clemson |
| 1964–1966 | NC State |
| 1966–1972 | LSU |
| 1972–1975 | Appalachian State |
Petar "Press" Maravich (August 29, 1915 – April 15, 1987) was an American college and professional basketball coach. He received the nickname "Press" for always having gossip-styled updates in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, an industrial city outside of Pittsburgh where he was raised. Maravich, Sr. also served in the United States Naval Air Corps during World War II.
Despite a long career as a coach, Maravich may best be remembered as "Pistol" Pete Maravich's father. Maravich graduated from Davis & Elkins College in 1941 and was a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
Maravich was the son of Serbian immigrants. After college, he played professional basketball with the Youngstown Bears (1945–1946) of the National Basketball League, and the Pittsburgh Ironmen (1946–1947) of the Basketball Association of America.
Press Maravich's first head coaching job at the college level was West Virginia Wesleyan College, 1949–1950. From there he went on to become head coach of his alma mater, Davis & Elkins, from 1950 to 1952. He had previously served as an assistant under Red Brown from 1947 to 1949.
Maravich was head coach of the Tigers of Clemson University from 1956 to 1962. He then went to North Carolina State University to be an assistant coach under Everett Case. Maravich took over the head coaching duties when health problems, primarily cancer, forced Case to retire early in the 1964–1965 season. Maravich led the Wolfpack to the Atlantic Coast Conference title that season. Maravich left for Louisiana State University in April 1966 where he coached his son, Pete Maravich. Upon offering the LSU scholarship to "Pistol", "Press" told his boy that "If you don't sign this ... don't ever come into my house again."{Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich}. Pete, originally wanted to go to the West Virginia University but finally agreed to go to LSU if his dad bought him a car. (Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich.) In spite of coaching his prolific son for half of his coaching career at LSU, Maravich had an overall losing record at the school. Maravich was replaced at LSU by Dale Brown in 1972. He then went on to coach the Mountaineers of Appalachian State, shepherding them through their early years in Division I, before retiring from coaching in 1975. Maravich returned to coaching in the early 1980s as associate head coach at Campbell University.
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