WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 22: Former basketball coach Pete Carril looks on during a college basketball game between the Boston University Terriors and the American Eagles on January 22, 2014 at the Bender Arena in Washington, DC.
The Eagles won 86-56. PRINCETON, N.J. - Pete Carril, the rumpled, cigar-smoking basketball coach who led Princeton to 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, where his teams unnerved formidable opponents and rattled March Madness with old-school fundamentals, died Monday.
He was 92.Princeton released a statement from Carril's family, which said he died "peacefully this morning." It did not give a cause of death."We kindly ask that you please respect our privacy at this time as we process our loss and handle necessary arrangements.
More information will be forthcoming in the following days," the statement said.Carril, a Hall of Famer, schooled his teams in a distinct and throwback brand of ball — the Princeton offense, a game marked by patience, intelligence, constant motion, quick passing and backdoor cuts that often ended in layups.It was an offense that could be played at any level of basketball — as Carril proved when he left Princeton and joined the NBA's Sacramento Kings as an assistant.At Princeton, Carril's offense was performed by players often dismissed or overlooked by some of the nation’s basketball powers.