Pete Carril ceremony set for Friday
Princeton will remember the life and passing of legendary basketball coach Pete Carril at an on-campus ceremony at Jadwin Gymasium Friday at 11 a.m.
The event is open to the public.
Carril coached Princeton for 29 seasons during a Hall-of-Fame career in which he led the Tigers to 13 Ivy League championships.
On his way to the collegiate level and national notoriety Carril was head coach at Reading High for eight seasons.
Carril died at age 92 in mid-August.
He’s best known for creating the “Princeton Offense,” a cut-screen-and-pass offense that he began developing in Reading when he became Red Knights coach in 1958.
Carril’s own roots trace back to the Lehigh Valley, where he played at Easton and later at Lafayette for Butch Van Breda Koff. Carril went on to coach at Easton. Jim Gano, who would become the winningest coach in Reading High history, played for Carril at Easton.
Gano played on Carril’s JV team and later for him on the Red Rovers varsity. Carill moved on to Reading High where he was a social studies teacher and led the Red Knights to 145 wins and a pair of Central Penn League championships.
Parking for the event is available in the new Stadium Drive Garage, located off Faculty Road and adjacent to the former location of Lot 21.
Read Tony Zonca’s fond recollection of Pete Carril’s life and times.