Carril ended his career as the winningest coach in Ivy history.

From 1964 to 2007, either Princeton or Penn won or shared the title in all but two seasons. Under Carril’s guidance, the Tigers dominated the Ivy League along with archrival Penn. In the introduction to the book, coaching great Bob Knight, who guided Indiana to three NCAA titles, said that Carril has “been a tremendous asset to the game of basketball and a great credit to it.” Knight added that “I can think of no better compliment that a basketball coach could ever receive than to be told, ‘You know, your teams play a little bit like Pete Carril’s Princeton teams used to play.’ ” He penned a book with Dan White, The Smart Take from the Strong, in 1997, detailing his basketball philosophy which included hundreds of nuggets explaining his tough-minded, no-nonsense approach to the game. With his blue collar background in Pennsylvania as the son of a steelworker, Carril often dispensed his wisdom with ample doses of profanity. Off the court, he had a fondness for cigars and was known for spending long nights at Conte’s breaking down games over pizza and beer. He wore sweaters on the sidelines and with tousled gray hair often flying, he commanded his players in a raspy voice while waving a rolled up program. While orchestrating that precise and confounding brand of the game, Carril himself made a rumpled appearance. That method of play, which became known as the “Princeton Offense,” has left a lasting influence on the game as teams from high school to the Golden State Warriors of the NBA have employed that style to spread the floor and wear foes down before getting open looks from the perimeter or in the paint. Princeton led the country in scoring defense 14 times from 1975 to 1996, including eight in a row from 1988 to 1996. That disciplined approach was complemented by a stifling defense which had the Tigers among the national leaders in fewest points allowed per game on a yearly basis. The hallmarks of the style that Carril perfected at Princeton included a deliberate offensive game that featured constant motion, crisp passing, and quick cuts to the basket. He served as the head coach at Lehigh University for one year before taking the Princeton job.

Prior to coming to Princeton, Carril started his coaching career as an assistant at Easton Area High (Pa.) in 1954 and then became a head coach at Reading High in 1958 where he guided Gary Walters, a future Princeton star and director of athletics at his alma mater. During his storied tenure, Carril posted a 514-261 record, leading the Tigers to 13 Ivy League championships, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the 1975 NIT title. The Carril family issued a statement on Monday posted on the Princeton University Athletics website indicating that Carril “passed away peacefully this morning.” He died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, where he was recuperating from a stroke.Ĭarril, a native of Bethlehem, Pa., who played college basketball for Lafayette College, took the head coaching job at Princeton for the 1967-68 season and guided the Tigers for the next 29 seasons. One of the most legendary and colorful figures in in Princeton University sports history, Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Pete Carril, died on Monday, August 15 at age 92. Legendary Hall of Famer Carril passed away at age 92 on Monday, August 15. HOLDING COURT: Former Princeton University men’s basketball head coach Pete Carril addresses the crowd in February 2009 after the main court at Jadwin Gym was officially renamed “Carril Court” in his honor.

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