University of Richmond Athletics
Tarrant, Governor Curtis Among A-10 Legends Class of 2015
01/16/2015 | Women's Basketball, Men's Basketball
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— Dick Tarrant and Laurie Governor Curtis were among 11 All-Americans and 10 professional players named to the Atlantic 10 Conference's 28-member Legends Class of 2015, the league announced on Thursday.
“The Atlantic 10 is pleased to honor the 2015 Legends class and congratulate them on their accomplishments,” stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. “Their contributions to the basketball legacy at their institutions helped lay the groundwork for establishing the Atlantic 10 as a premier basketball league. I congratulate each of them on their distinguished careers that have led to this great accolade.”
UR's all-time winningest basketball coach, Dick Tarrant's teams posted a record of 239-126 over 12 seasons. Tarrant led the Spiders to eight 20-win seasons, four Colonial Athletic Association championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the National Invitational Tournament.
Tarrant gained national notice with NCAA Tournament victories over Auburn in 1984, Indiana and Georgia Tech in 1988 on the way to the Sweet Sixteen, and, the biggest upset of all, over Syracuse in 1991, making Richmond the first #15 seed to defeat a #2 seed in the first round. Tarrant came to Richmond as an assistant coach in 1978, and he became head coach in 1981.
A native of Englewood, N.J., Tarrant was the CAA coach of the year four times. He was inducted into University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Virginia State Hall of Fame in 2013.
Laurie Governor Curtis was an outstanding women's basketball player for the Spiders from 1984-88. She is second in Richmond women's basketball history with 1,086 career rebounds and fourth in single-season rebounds (316 in 1985-86). She is fifth with 1,655 career points, fifth in career field goals made (618) and fourth in career field goal percentage (51.8%).
Governor Curtis was Second Team All-Colonial Athletic Association as a sophomore and First Team All-CAA as a junior and senior, while leading the Spiders to a 21-8 record during her senior year, when she was team captain.
Governor Curtis was named All-American, Special Mention for Fast Break in 1987. She was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
The Women's Basketball Legends will be saluted with a breakfast on Friday, March 6 prior to the 2014 A-10 Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals. The event will take place at the Richmond Marriott beginning at 9:00 a.m.
The Men's Basketball Legends will be honored on March 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. prior to the 2015 Men's Basketball Championship semifinals. The celebration awards brunch will be in the 40/40 Club, beginning at 11:00 a.m. prior to the A-10 men's semifinal games.
The Legends program was established in 2013 to recognize men's and women's basketball student-athletes and coaches who have made a lasting impact on their respective basketball programs and institutions. This year marks the third class the Atlantic 10 has inducted. Each year, A-10 member institutions selected their two Legends. Previous honorees have included Basketball Hall of Fame members, national champions, Olympians, and professional players.
The 2015 Men's Legends class boasts 12 former student-athletes and two coaches. Eight of the players went on to play professionally in either the NBA or ABA. The group also includes eight All-Americans, one National Newcomer of the Year and one Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member (Frank Keany, Rhode Island). In addition, eight of the men's legends are also in their respective institutional athletics Hall of Fame.
The 2015 Women's Legends, all former student-athletes, led their teams to conference championships, NCAA Tournament selections and WNIT appearances. The group includes two players that went on to play in the WNBA, three All-Americans, two Academic All-Americans and six players that are now in their institutional Hall of Fame.
A limited number of brunch tickets are available to the general public. For more information, please contact the Atlantic 10 Conference at 757-706-3041.
About the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1976 and consists of 14 diverse members across eight states and Washington, D.C. The mission of the Atlantic 10 is to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience through 21 nationally competitive championship sports. The basketball-centric conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for its student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. The membership consists of Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University. For more information, visit www.atlantic10.com.
