Who Was Jim 'Jimmy V' Valvano? The Legendary Coach's Death Explained

Jim "Jimmy V" Valvano had a sterling career as a college basketball coach that was only outshined by the charitable legacy he left behind following his death. He started his career on the sidelines with brief stops at Johns Hopkins and the University of Connecticut until landing the head coaching gig at Bucknell from 1972-1975. Valvano followed that up with five seasons at Iona from 1975-1980 and then took over at North Carolina State from 1980-1990 where he became one of the top coaches in the country. The coach led NC State to 209 wins, two ACC titles, and one improbable national championship in 1983 when his team upset Houston in the title game.

After 10 seasons at NC State, Valvano started broadcasting games alongside Dick Vitale. Unfortunately, only a few years into his career as a commentator, Jimmy V was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma — an aggressive form of cancer — in 1992. Although he continued to call games, which led to him receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the inaugural ESPYS in 1993.

While suffering from the fatal disease, Valvano delivered an acceptance speech for the ages at the ESPYS. During this, the former coach announced the launch of his charity. "[W]e are starting the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. And its motto is, 'Don't give up ... don't ever give up," he said. Sadly, Jimmy V died only months after that speech. Later, details from loved ones revealed how ill Valvano was during the ESPYS.

Jim "Jimmy V" Valvano died of cancer in April 1993 — only two months after giving his moving ESPYs speech. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was a close friend, released a statement. "Jim was a dreamer, motivator and a fighter. He did all those things to the last day," Krzyzewski said, per the Los Angeles Times.

Once Valvano went public with his condition, friends and family spoke about how difficult the ESPN commentator's day-to-day life had become. "He has been in tremendous pain," the celebrated coach's brother, Bobby Valvano, told the Los Angeles Times in July 1992. After the doctors shared the grim diagnosis, Jimmy V looked for a silver lining. "He told me, 'I'm going to fight and battle this thing before it knocks me out,'" Dick Vitale said to the Times.

A feature story from Sports Illustrated that was published in January 1993 — months before the former North Carolina State Coach's death — gave insight into Jimmy V's last few months. To deal with his pain, the ESPN commentator took 24 tablets of Advil a day. Years later, Vitale recalled how difficult it was for his friend and colleague to deliver that stirring ESPYs speech. "I remember how sick Jimmy was that evening," Vitale wrote for ESPN in 2013. "I honestly did not know how he was going to make it up to the stage." In addition to the captivating speech, the coach left a lasting impact on his foundation. 

When writing about Jim "Jimmy V" Valvano for ESPN in 2013, Dick Vitale encapsulated how his friend's efforts in his last days were Valvano's most vital. "My friends, while some may say Valvano's legacy came when he cut down the nets in 1983 as national champion with the Wolfpack, I beg to differ," Vitale wrote. "Jimmy V's legacy has been the battle against that dreaded disease, cancer," the veteran college basketball commentator added. The Jimmy V Foundation was created in the final months of Valvano's life, and decades later had raised over $310 million for cancer research. "As Jim said, 'Cancer research may not save my life, it may save my children's lives. It may save someone you love," the foundation's website reads.

Over the years, ESPN has worked alongside the cancer research charity. In 2004, the sports channel introduced V Week, a week where college basketball games were shown on the network to bring awareness and help raise funds for cancer research. In March, the V Foundation announced a Giving Week campaign, where the charity would match all contributions made over the course of that week. Decades after Valvano's death, coach Mike Krzyzewski reflected on the impact of his friend's charity. "He had great vision, but I do think he would be surprised with where we're at today," the former Duke coach said in a statement about the success of Valvano's organization, per PR Newswire.