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Dick Lloyd, a loyal son of the basketball program, was elected to the Rutgers Hall of Fame today.
2015 @RUAthletics HOF honoree Dick Lloyd served @RutgersU in many capacities for 50 years. http://t.co/X8u83zOFvu pic.twitter.com/IiXhptCEzl
— Rutgers Basketball (@RutgersMBB) August 6, 2015
He was a key figure in the most successful period of Rutgers basketball between the mid-sixties to mid-seventies. Lloyd started as an assistant coach from 1965-1971 under head coach Bill Foster. The team finished third in the NIT in 1967 behind the backcourt play of Rutgers legends Jim Valvano and Bob Lloyd, Dick's brother. Dick took over as head coach of Rutgers when Foster left to coach at Utah. He compiled a record of 29-22 in two seasons, during which he had an assistant coach named Dick Vitale.
Lloyd and his staff brought in the recruiting class that was the foundation of the greatest team in Rutgers basketball history, the 1975-1976 Final Four squad. The two key players of that class were Phil Sellers and Mike Dabney. Sellers became a two time All-American, is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in program history and one of only three Rutgers players to have their number retired. Dabney is fourth all-time in scoring, eighth in assists and seventeenth in steals in program history.
After leaving his post as head basketball coach, Lloyd worked for the university in other capacities including Director positions for Alumni Relations, the Annual Fund for the Rutgers University Foundation and then Corporate Relations. His last full-time position was as Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations. Lloyd recently retired this past season after twenty-three seasons as the men's basketball radio analyst. I have fond memories of listening to him as a teenager during games on the radio, back when a good amount of Rutgers games were not on television. Most recently, he made a great announcing team with play-by-play announcer Chris Carlin.
Several members of the Rutgers basketball program were singing the praises of Lloyd on Twitter after the announcement:
Congratulations to a friend & true gentleman for his selection to the @RUAthletics HOF. Way to go coach Lloyd! pic.twitter.com/DKawM3x8jA
— Eddie Jordan (@EddieJordanRU) August 6, 2015
In my nearly 20 years working in athletics, I've never known a man more highly regarded. Congratulations coach Lloyd. pic.twitter.com/rfRZ9sPWA3
— Kevin Lorincz (@Kevin_Lorincz) August 6, 2015
Absolutely fantastic. Congrats to all, including Dick Lloyd. Couldn't be happier for the Coach! https://t.co/JnVyxH5fdO
— Chris Carlin (@ChrisCarlinSNY) August 6, 2015
Congrats to Rutgers Loyal Sons Dick Lloyd and Fred Hill on being selected to the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame... http://t.co/i0MJDM6cWB
— Rutgers Alumn Assoc (@RAANewBrunswick) August 6, 2015
Congratulations to Dick Lloyd on a great honor and an amazing career "on the banks".