COACHING LEGENDS HONORED

The two coaches combined for more than 800 wins and 14 conference titles

GREENSBORO, N.C., January 16, 2006 – When any one thinks of N.C. A&T basketball, two names come to mind – former head men’s basketball coaches Calvin “Cal” Irvin and Don Corbett.

For their success and tremendous accomplishments, Irvin and Corbett were  honored before the Aggies nationally televised game (ESPN2) on Monday against Bethune-Cookman at Corbett Sports Center by having the court named in their honor. The name of the court inside the Ellis F. Corbett Sports Center will be Cal Irvin-Don Corbett Court.

Among the former players in attendance was Al Attles, the vice president of the Golden State Warriors, and a player under Irvin.

"It's so great to be back here and see these men honored,'' said Attles. "They made it honor to put on a North Carolina A&T jersey. Guys are still proud today to say they played basketball at North Carolina A&T State University. Coach Irvin not only helped you as a basketball player, but he made you a better person."

Irvin came to N.C. A&T in 1954 and in 18 seasons his teams never finished below .500. Irvin’s success would carry the Aggies over into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, where he won the school’s first league championship in 1972. His name is listed on the A&T, MEAC, CIAA, and the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fames.

Eighteen players under his tenure played professionally, including Al Attles, the only HBCU graduate to coach an NBA championship team. Hugh Evans, another star in the Irvin system, has served in the NBA as an official for 35 years.

Irvin finished with a career record of 401-132, including a 308-105 record at N.C. A&T. His first CIAA championship came in 1958. Irvin’s teams won CIAA titles in 1959, 1962, 1964, and 1967. The 26 wins the Aggies totaled in 1958 would still be a record today had it not been for Corbett.

Corbett quickly rebuilt the program after an 8-19 first season in 1979-80. His recruiting class began a run that has been unparalleled in MEAC history.

In that class was the first of three All-MEAC players to come out of Rochester, N.Y. in Joe Binion. Binion would go on to finish his career as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in school history in leading the Aggies to four MEAC championships.

Corbett’s eight consecutive MEAC tournament titles and seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances are just the tip of the iceberg on Corbett’s résumé. Corbett finished with a 249-133 record to rank second on the all-time victories list behind Irvin. He won 20 or more games in six different seasons, including a school best winning percentage of .897 thanks to a 26-3 record in 1986-87.

Also under Corbett’s direction, the Aggies ran off a 37-game winning streak in Corbett Sports Center which lasted nearly four years. Corbett has been named MEAC Coach of the Year six times and has had a player win MEAC Player of the Year six times. 

When an Aggie fan enters the Corbett Sports Center (named, ironically, for Corbett’s great-great uncle Ellis F. Corbett), and looks to the sky for the score, they will see the legacy Irvin and Corbett put together thanks to the many banners hanging down. After January 16, fans can also look to the floor and see Cal Irvin-Don Corbett decal.