Bucky Waters

Raymond Chevalier "Bucky" Waters (born December 17, 1935) is a current basketball broadcaster with ESPN and Madison Square Garden Network and a retired NCAA basketball head coach. He served as head coach for the West Virginia University men's basketball team from 1965–69 and was head coach for the Duke University men's team from 1969-1973. His overall head coaching record is 133-96 and includes four postseason appearances.

Biography

Collegiate basketball

As a player, Waters played under Hall of Fame Coach Everett Case at North Carolina State University. Only N. C. State's National Championship teams of 1974 and 1983 surpassed the Wolfpack’s Nationally 2nd ranked team of the Waters’ era.

As a coach, Waters spent four years at West Virginia University and ten years at Duke University producing winning records and postseason tournament teams at both universities. Waters is one of only four individuals in ACC history to be on ACC basketball championship teams at two different universities—first as a player at N. C. State (1956), then later as an assistant coach at Duke University (1960, 1963, 1964). He is also one of only six ACC players to become an ACC head basketball coach.

In the eighteen years of college basketball as player and coach Waters participated in 5 conference Championships, 5 NCAA Tournaments, 3 National Invitation Tournaments, and 2 Final Fours.^[1] His fourteen years of experience as both player and coach in the ACC found him in the top half of his conference every year. As head coach at WVU, Waters maintained a winning record against his former school: His Mountaineers won 2 of 3 over the Blue Devils, including a 1966 victory over the #1, undefeated Blue Devils—a Duke team that would later go on to the Final Four.^[2]

Coaching record

Note: * Southern Conference Champions

• Overall Record: 133-96
  • Record at West Virginia: 70-41
  • Record at Duke: 63-45

Broadcast experience

Waters broadcasting experience includes coverage with NBC, USA, ESPN, Jefferson-Pilot/Raycom, Madison Square Garden Network, and Fox Sports. His 30 years of experience includes professional golf with the PGA, professional baseball with the Durham Bulls, and anchor announcing duties for NBC in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. His most frequent and well known broadcasting, however, has been associated with college basketball.

Personal life

Waters married Dorothea Walter on September 1, 1956. They have three children (Michael, Terry, and Linda), twelve grandchildren, and two great grandsons.

Awards

• 1967 Southern Conference Coach of the Year.^[3]
• Recipient of NCSU Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001, succeeding former governor, Jim Hunt.^[4]
• Received honorary Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the Duke University Medical School alumni.^[4]
• Inducted into South Jersey Sports Hall of Fame.
• Received Lou Gehrig/Catfish Hunter Humanitarian Award in March 2005.^[5]
• Retired after 41 years at Duke University, having reached title of Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development at Duke Medical Center, and served as an officer of Duke University in that position.

References