Dave Gavitt played baseball and basketball for Dartmouth College and was a highly successful coach and administrator at the highest levels of athletics, both professionally and on the collegiate level. Amongst his many achievements and accolades, Gavitt was the founder and commissioner of the Big East, President of an Olympic governing body, and the CEO of the Boston Celtics.
As the head men's basketball coach at Providence College, Gavitt guided the Friars to eight consecutive 20-win seasons and five NCAA tournaments, including the NCAA Final Four in 1973. His personal coaching honors included being named Eastern Coach of the Year, winning five consecutive New England Coach of the Year awards and also earning the John W. Bunn award and the Naismith award.
Gavitt was selected as head coach of the 1980 United States Olympic Basketball Team, which was unable to compete in Moscow due to the U.S. boycott. He then organized a five-game Gold Medal series against leading NBA players, marking the first time professional players had been involved in the Olympic preparation.
Gavitt served as Director of Athletics at Providence College for 10 years, where he built the Friar program from seven to 24 sports and had the vision to head the construction of both an on campus ice hockey arena and recreation center. He was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
In 2010, Gavitt was awarded with an ECAC Commissioner’s Award for his meritorious service to the ECAC and to Providence College.