University of North Carolina Athletics
Scroggs Formally Inducted Into National Lacrosse Hall Of Fame
November 24, 2003 | Men's Lacrosse
Nov. 24, 2003
BALTIMORE, MD. - Legendary University of North Carolina men's lacrosse coach Willie Scroggs was inducted Saturday into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in a ceremony at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md. Scroggs was among 10 people inducted in the 46th class taken into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame by the Board of Directors of US Lacrosse.
In 1978, UNC went to the hotbed of college lacrosse, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and hired the Blue Jays' top assistant, Willie Scroggs, as the Tar Heels' new head coach. It was a move that bore fruit for a dozen years until Scroggs retired from coaching at the end of the 1990 season to become associate athletic director for games operations and outdoor facilities at UNC. The decision to pursue Coach Scroggs, a Baltimore, Md. native who went to City College High School, was made by then athletic director Bill Cobey whose philosophy was that you go to the best program in the game and recruit a top assistant to build your program.
Tar Heel teams were 120-37 during the Scroggs era and were invited to the NCAA Tournament 11 straight seasons from 1980 through 1990. In nine of Scroggs' 12 years, UNC made the NCAA Tournament semifinal round and the 1981, 1982 and 1986 squads won the NCAA Division I championship. The Tar Heels were 17-8 in NCAA post-season play during his tenure. Scroggs' teams won ACC titles in 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1990. In addition, the 1982 team finished the season ranked #1 in the nation in the final USILA poll.
