PULLMAN – Washington State Athletics legend and Hall of Fame basketball coach George Raveling, who elevated the Cougar men's basketball program to national prominence during his time in Pullman, has passed away at the age of 88, WSU said in a statement. 

Raveling passed away peacefully, according to his family, via a statement posted on Raveling's X account, Tuesday morning. 

“George Raveling was an iconic figure not just at Washington State, but throughout the world of athletics,” said WSU Director of Athletics Anne McCoy. “George is a Hall-of-Famer in every sense, and his positive impact on the athletics history at Washington State will continue to resonate through those he came in contact with, including student-athletes, staff, fans and alumni. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.” 

One of the winningest coaches in WSU basketball history, Raveling guided the Cougar hoop fortunes from 1972-1983. During his 11 years in Pullman, Raveling led WSU to two NCAA tournaments in 1980 and 1983. 

WSU's 1980 NCAA appearance was the first for the Cougars since finishing national runner-up in 1941. The 80-64 win against UCLA at Beasley Coliseum, the first win against the Bruins since 1966, Raveling said, was his favorite memory during his time as coach of the Cougars. 

Raveling finished his WSU career with 167 wins, 136 losses, and had seven winning seasons, including five straight from the 1975-76 campaign through the 1980 season. 

Raveling continued his collegiate coaching career after leaving WSU in 1983, first at the University of Iowa (1983-86), then at the University of Southern California (1986-94). The Washington, D.C. native coached at his alma mater, Villanova and at Maryland before taking over at WSU. His career head coaching record stands at 337-292. 

When Washington State hired Raveling in 1972 to lead its men's basketball program, he became the first African American head basketball coach in Pac-12 (then Pac-8) Conference history. Raveling also possessed one of the most important documents in American history, Martin Luther King's original notes from his "I Have a Dream" speech, part of a massive collection of items Raveling accumulated during his life. 

Raveling won numerous coach-of-the-year honors during his Cougar career, including the 1976 UPI Pac-8 Conference and 1983 Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year. While at WSU, Raveling was an assistant coach for the USA team at the 1979 Pan American Games and the West Regional coach at the 1979 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. 

In 1984 and 1988, he served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Teams. 

The author of two books on basketball and rebounding, Raveling was honored by WSU with his induction into WSU Athletics Hall of Fame and the Pac-10 Basketball Men's Hall of Honor, both in 2004. 

In 2020, Raveling's contributions to Washington State University were recognized further as his name was immortalized on a banner that hangs in the rafters of Beasley Coliseum. 

Raveling was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. Raveling also received the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball.