Former Dartmouth head basketball coach Dave Gavitt ’59, who was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 for his extensive contributions to the sport, died Friday after a lengthy illness. He was 73.

As a player, Gavitt helped lead Dartmouth to Ivy League titles in 1958 and 1959. The Rhode Island native returned to his alma mater and was the head men’s basketball coach for two seasons before departing for Providence College in 1969, where he led the Friars to the 1973 NCAA Championship Final Four and a 209-84 record over 10 seasons.

Gavitt helped form the Big East conference in 1979 and served as the Big East's first commissioner from 1979-1990. He was also selected to coach the 1980 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, the year the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Olympics. From 1990-1994, he was president of the Boston Celtics. He also served as president of USA Basketball and helped put together the Dream Team of NBA players for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Former St. John’s coach and fellow Naismith Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca told SI.com on Saturday, “He was not only a great basketball coach and organizer of the Big East but he was a great, great statesman for basketball, college and international.”

Read the full story, published on SI.com on 9/17/11.