RIP Rollie Massimino

[Toga]

Doesn't sound good.
Hall of Fame basketball coach Rollie Massimino in hospice care in West Palm Beach

 

[JLine]

Thoughts to his family, and hope he is in as little pain as possible. It definitely doesn't sound well, so no reason for me to say otherwise. Wish him well, and a peaceful exit.

 

[realorange]

Best to Rollie and his family.

It was always fun to be in the Dome when Rollie brought his team. He was one of the cornerstones of extroverted coaches in the old Big East.

 

[rrlbees]

That's sad to hear. He was always a great guy. Ran into him a couple times over the years at Italian restaurants and he was always pleasant and funny. One of those coaches that you could never dislike. Hopefully things go peaceful for him and prayers go out to him and his family.

 

[shandeezy7]

Damn, wasn't he still coaching up until a year or two ago?

 

[Cuseroc]

Damn, wasn't he still coaching up until a year or two ago?

Yes, I noticed that too. I loved that little guy and I loved watching that 85 championship scene where hes running out to the court looking for someone to hug after they beat Georgetown for the championship. then you see his team lift him up in the air and his little short arms are waving in the air and fist pumping then he covers his face as hes trying to fight away the tears. He was my favorite bb coach after JB of course.

 

[OttoMets]

Very sad, cool guy of a wonderful era.

Weird to say, but I always thought we'd get the sad news about Carnesecca before Rollie.

 

[Fat tire 13]

Sad news. Sending peaceful vibes. He was definitely someone who was full of enthusiasm and was one of the memorable coaches in the Big East golden days. Everything I've heard about him is nice too. My neighbor sat next to him on a plane once and said he was super friendly and talkative.

 

[RF2044]

That's sad to hear. He was always a great guy. Ran into him a couple times over the years at Italian restaurants and he was always pleasant and funny. One of those coaches that you could never dislike. Hopefully things go peaceful for him and prayers go out to him and his family.

Agreed. Ran into him one time in a Cleveland Italian restaurant. Talked 'Cuse for a bit, he was very complimentary of our program, and a gracious guy in general.

 

[rrlbees]

Agreed. Ran into him one time in a Cleveland Italian restaurant. Talked 'Cuse for a bit, he was very complimentary of our program, and a gracious guy in general.

It's funny, everyone always ran into him at an Italian restaurant. He was always a huge fan of Grimaldi's.

 

[Symphony Steve]

I wish him and his family well.

Rollie was not as universally beloved here in the Philly area. He definitely got too big for his britches and claimed that 'Nova had outgrown the Big Five--Temple, St. Joe's, LaSalle, Penn and 'Nova. It took Jay Wright to help restore one of the greatest traditions in college basketball history, with the Palestra as the mecca.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Agreed. Ran into him one time in a Cleveland Italian restaurant. Talked 'Cuse for a bit, he was very complimentary of our program, and a gracious guy in general.

In Little Italy by Case? . BTW, that area has massively changed (finally) the past few years. Euclid is really developed now with tons for the students up to that sketchy bridge up on Euclid/123rd where you generally, even now, don't want to walk beyond. Before there was absolutely nothing on Euclid up until that point.

 

[RF2044]

In Little Italy by Case? . BTW, that area has massively changed (finally) the past few years. Euclid is really developed now with tons for the students up to that sketchy bridge up on Euclid/123rd where you generally, even now, don't want to walk beyond. Before there was absolutely nothing on Euclid up until that point.

Or course!

Haven't been down there in years. One of my friends and I used to hang out at the Barking Spider [one block down from Euclid] back when I was in grad school at Case, so I know that area well.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Or course!

Haven't been down there in years. One of my friends and I used to hang out at the Barking Spider [one block down from Euclid] back when I was in grad school at Case, so I know that area well.

Ha. Barking Spider only recently finally closed! Used to hangout there with a bunch of CIM friends my senior year of high school getting the drinking practice on.

 

[Cuse'91]

Ugh, don't they come in 3s?
Mac, Heathcote, and ???

 

[Col. Bleep]

Sad to hear this.
Rollie: a true college basketball character back when the Big East was a league full of characters.
Best known in the Dome for cementing the Orange win in the first BE championship game by calling a timeout he didn't have with 3 seconds left.
'85 National Championship was a beautiful performance by a team groomed to beat G-town.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[SUfanNC]

Remember him growing up in the Big East. I have seen some documentaries with him and Jay Wright. Guy just seemed fun to be around. A big character. Rest well Coach!!!

 

[RF2044]

It's funny, everyone always ran into him at an Italian restaurant. He was always a huge fan of Grimaldi's.

We talked about that Tom Greis game in 1988, when the guy didn't miss en route to scoring 18 [or whatever] against us.

He was very gracious, considering that I wasn't a Nova / CSU fan, and chatted for about 10 minutes. Never felt like I was bothering him / overstepping -- I planned on originally just making a passing comment as I greeted him, and it ended up turning into a very comfortable conversation. He was a personable guy.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

Well he was quite the character. I went to game in Rochester when SU played Villanova. I can remember him like a crazy man taking his jacket off throwing it on the chair stopping on the floor. Close game but Syracuse prevailed with Rosie and Bouie. Bunch of us went to a hotel in downtown and both teams were staying there. We accidentally walked into a ball room and there were Nova alumni and Rollie was holding court. They loved him he was happy laughing even though they lost the game. Then we went into the bar area there was nobody in there except Jim Boeheims sitting by himself watching a bunch of college coaches playing golf. You could tell that he wished he was there playing golf. apparently no one knew who he was when except for us so we sat down and talked to him.

e.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[orange79]

First time I became aware of Rollie was when I saw SU play Nova in the Rochester Classic the year before Nova joined the BE. Rollie got so mad at the refs he threw a chair across the floor, ala Bob Knight. Obvious ejection followed. I knew then that this would become a great rivalry.

Rollie - I hear you can throw a chair across the court in Heaven and not get ejected. Go for it. RIP.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[orangecuse]

In Little Italy by Case? . BTW, that area has massively changed (finally) the past few years. Euclid is really developed now with tons for the students up to that sketchy bridge up on Euclid/123rd where you generally, even now, don't want to walk beyond. Before there was absolutely nothing on Euclid up until that point.

Little Italy, Cleveland Ohio. I'm 100% Italian. My mom & dad grew up there back in the day...years ago; many relatives of mine too, a couple of them, I'll just say had 'connections.' They both went to Murray Hill School, Murray Hill road I believe still has that section in the 'neighborhood' that is brick. Presti's and Mama Santa's (best pizza around) still there, Corbo's Italian Ice, etc. The 'ol Roman Gardens is now Trattoria on the Hill.

Moved out to Lyndhurst/Beachwood suburbs before my dad took a transfer with GM to Syracuse in the early 70's. Used to play hoops when I was young at the Alta House, and baseball at Random Road field, which is now Tony Brush Park. One of my sisters still goes back to the Feast of Assumption almost annually (she lives in Caz) where they block off Mayfield Road for the festivities.

Much history there...a lot has changed.

 

[rrlbees]

People can talk about the ACC and Coach K, Williams, Pitino and JB. But there will never be quite the quartet of JB, Thompson, Louie and Rollie in the BE. The right coaches at the right time under the bright lights.