Dave Gavitt ’89Hon., one of the pillars of Providence College’s rich basketball tradition, was selected on April 3 for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Chosen in the contributor category, Gavitt was elected in his first year of eligibility and was one of six honorees picked for this year’s class. Enshrinement ceremonies will be held on the weekend of September 7-9 in Springfield, Mass., where the hall of fame is located. For the full list of honorees, click here.

One of the most respected figures in the sport of basketball, Gavitt was PC’s men’s basketball head coach from 1969-1979 and served as the College’s athletic director from 1971-1982. Counting his responsibilities as an assistant coach to the legendary Joe Mullaney from 1962-1966, Gavitt spent 17 years at PC.

While Gavitt’s accomplishments as a coach officially could not be considered in the contributor category by the hall of fame’s voters, he is one of the two most successful coaches in Friar basketball history. His record of 209-84 ranks him first in winning percentage (.713) all-time. He also directed PC to its first NCAA Final Four appearance in 1973 and to eight consecutive 20-win seasons, including five NCAA Tournaments and three NIT tournaments. His success at Providence led to his selection as head coach of the 1980 United States Olympic Team.

One of the founders of the BIG EAST Conference, Gavitt served as BIG EAST commissioner from 1979-1990. Some of his other noteworthy contributions to the sport include serving as: a member and chair of the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee; member and president of USA Basketball; chairman of the board of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; and chief executive officer of the Boston Celtics.

Gavitt is the third member of the PC basketball family to earn the honor of induction into the hall of fame. He joins John Thompson ’64 and Lenny Wilkens ’60, the latter who has been inducted as both a player and a coach.