LSU's Van Chancellor Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Chancellor will be inducted Friday along with several others

Sept. 7, 2007

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - Van Chancellor came from humble surroundings, and he had the basketball talent to match.

"I was the 12th man on an 11-man team," the LSU women's coach joked Friday night in his Hall of Fame induction speech. "The coach left a seat open just in case somebody who walked in off the street could beat me out."

The would-be preacher from tiny Nanih Waiya, Miss., instead became one of the best women's basketball coaches in history - at every level. He made 14 NCAA appearances at Mississippi, won the first four WNBA titles with the Houston Comets and led the United States to an Olympic gold medal.

Chancellor was inducted into the basketball hall along with Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson; North Carolina coach Roy Williams; the 1966 NCAA champion Texas Western team; former NBA referee Mendy Rudolph; and international coaches Pedro Ferrandiz of Spain and Mirko Novosel of Yugoslavia.

Former USA Today, Chicago Tribune and New York Times writer Malcom Moran and longtime Phoenix Suns broadcaster Al McCoy were honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award.

Chancellor posted a 439-154 record at Mississippi before leading the Comets to four straight championships (1997-00). He also coached the U.S. team to a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and has a 38-0 record in international competition.

"I'm not sure I deserve this honor," said Chancellor, his sparkling red tie flashing in the TV lights. "But there's no one happier to be here than me."

Chancellor had a busy spring after learning he had been elected to the Springfield shrine. Planning to retire, he sold his house in Houston so he could move closer to the golf course.

"I told the guy, 'If you buy this house, you can say a Hall of Famer lived here,"' Chancellor said.

A week later, Chancellor got a call from LSU offering him the job as women's basketball coach. The Lady Tigers were still reeling after coach Pokey Chatman resigned on the way to the school's fourth consecutive Final Four appearance amid allegations of improper conduct with a player.

"When I got the job, we just moved forward," Chancellor said. "And the team has responded beautifully."

Before getting to Mississippi, Chancellor coached both boys and girls high school teams and said he tried to treat them the same.

Except for one thing: He always had an assistant coach go into the women's locker room first, to make sure everyone was dressed.

"I coached the boys team just like I coached the girls team," Chancellor said.