Veteran College Basketball Coach Bobby Cremins Named 2013 NC Beautiful Golf Classic Honorary Chair

RALEIGH, NC, February 19, 2013 (Press-News.org) NC Beautiful has announced that Bobby Cremins will serve as Honorary Chair of the 28th NC Beautiful Golf Classic. The environmental non-profit's fundraiser will be held from July 19-21 at Pinehurst Resort & Spa, one of the world's finest golf resorts located among the Sandhills of North Carolina. Cremins is a veteran of 31 seasons as a college basketball head coach.

Cremins graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1970 and played professional basketball in Ecuador before beginning his collegiate coaching career at Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA in 1972. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 1973. After a two-year stint at USC, Cremins was chosen to build the Appalachian State University basketball program and became the youngest Division I head coach in the NCAA at the age of 27. He coached the Mountaineers from 1976-1981 and during his six seasons, he was the third-winningest coach in program history with a 125-68 (.648) record and captured three Southern Conference titles. In 1979, with a 23-6 record, he led the Mountaineers to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Following his six seasons at ASU, Cremins went on to coach Georgia Tech from 1981-2000 and compiled a 579-375 record. During his 19 years, he guided the Yellow Jackets to 14 winning seasons and 14 postseason berths—leading the team to three ACC tournament titles, two ACC regular-season titles, and a Final Four appearance in 1990. Cremins became Georgia Tech's all-time winningest coach during the 1995-96 season. In 2003, the college officially named the basketball court at Alexander Memorial Coliseum "Cremins Court."

Cremins would finish his coaching career at the College of Charleston. He coached the Cougars for six seasons (2006-2012) and led the basketball team to four 20-win campaigns. In 2011, the program enjoyed a memorable run to the NIT Quarterfinals and a 26-11 overall record. CofC would claim its first Southern Conference regular-season championship title, as well as boast the program's first NBA Draft pick and All-American since 1997 in all-time leading scorer and great Andrew Goudelock, who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Cremins was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on June 9, 2006, the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame on October 6, 2006, and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame on September 20, 2007. Prior to his retirement from coaching on March 19, 2012, Cremins ranked 14th among active NCAA Division I coaches in career victories (579) which currently stands as the 46th-most all-time in NCAA history ahead of former CofC legendary head coach John Kresse (53rd, 560), his mentor and former coach, Frank McGuire (56th, 549) and Lou Carnesecca (61st, 526).

NC Beautiful Executive Director, Steve Vacendak, considers Cremins not only one of the nation's most accomplished college basketball coaches, but also a close friend of over 30 years. Vacendak, who himself played and coached college basketball, says that having someone of Cremins' professional and personal standing is a great privilege and that his presence will add a great deal of excitement to the event. "We're honored to have Bobby serve as our Chair this year," says Vacendak. "Having his name as a part of our event will help us draw attention to the importance of environmental preservation and allow us to continue to perpetuate the natural beauty of North Carolina."

Cremins said that he was more than happy to serve as Chair when asked by Vacendak. He says that during his six years at ASU, he spent a lot of time traveling throughout North Carolina to recruit players. During that time, he had gained an enormous appreciation of the beauty that the state had to offer.

"Recruiting kids took me from Boone to Wilmington. I went from the mountains all the way to the ocean," says Cremins. "The one thing we would sell to prospective players was the beauty and uniqueness of the state. My son was born in Boone, and I remember coming up and down the mountains and thinking what a spectacular sight it was."

Cremins hopes that everyone will come out on July 19th and support the work of NC Beautiful. He says that he firmly believes that the education we give our children now will serve as a foundation on which they can build their love of nature.

"North Carolina is blessed with an amazing landscape, and we show our appreciation for it every time we go out and play, golf, hike, fish, or just watch the sunset," adds Cremins. "The NC Beautiful Classic is your opportunity to participate in outstanding programs that anyone can believe in: supporting teachers, supporting our local young researchers, and supporting the natural beauty we all enjoy. No matter what color jersey you wear, we all have a chance to be on the same team and work together to do something positive for North Carolina."

Chartered in 1967, NC Beautiful was created as part of Governor Dan K. Moore's pledge to emphasize preserving the state's physical beauty. The goal behind Governor Moore's vision was to use the gifts North Carolina was blessed with—its natural resources, scenery, climate, and physical variety—to provide economic and quality of life benefits for the people of North Carolina. That vision became NC Beautiful's mission.

For over 40 years, NC Beautiful has played an important role in the state's environmental education and supporting organizations in their beautification efforts. With such programs as the Annual Azalea Celebration and the Windows of Opportunity Grants, the organization is helping North Carolinians keep NC Beautiful.

For more information about NC Beautiful, call (919) 828-3190 or visit http://www.ncbeautiful.org.

About NC Beautiful
NC Beautiful has been part of the state's environmental preservation community for over 40 years, supporting awareness, education and beautification efforts that affect the quality of life for all North Carolinians. The organization concentrates on hands-on and merit-based programs designed to empower citizens to preserve the natural beauty of the state of North Carolina. Whether it is school children building outdoor classrooms, graduate students developing cutting edge research, or a Boy Scout troop planting azaleas at an elder care facility, NC Beautiful makes it possible for North Carolinians to keep NC beautiful. For more information, visit http://www.ncbeautiful.org.

Media Contacts
Steve Vacendak, Executive Director
NC Beautiful
(919) 828-3190
svacendak@ncbeautiful.org

Louise Carey, Programs Manager
NC Beautiful
(919) 828-3190
lcarey@ncbeautiful.org