Take a walk around campus and you’ll eventually see a familiar face; iconic figures are immortalized in bronze.
Jim Valvano, former men’s basketball coach
The NC State coaching legend stands among three other coaches in front of Reynolds Coliseum. The “coaching corner” consists of four statues of prominent players. His hands are raised in the air with a net in hand, replicating the monumental moment in the 1983 NCAA game against Houston. The sculpture shows incredible details — one can almost see tears in his eyes.
William R. Johnston, professor emeritus of chemistry
The strolling professor stands behind Burlington Nuclear Laboratories and was sculpted by J. Seward Johnson. Halted in his tracks, the statue is reminiscent of the chemistry professor who began teaching at NC State in 1959. The professor was always seen walking around with his nose in literature. A campus legend states that if you rub his head, you’ll get an A on your first chemistry test.
Kay Yow, former women’s basketball coach
In 1975, Yow became NC State’s first full-time basketball coach. She also coached the U.S. women’s basketball team. In 2007, the court in Reynolds Coliseum was named in her honor. The Kay Yow cancer fund has garnered over five million dollars towards women’s cancer research. With Play4Kay, teams across the country compete in pink, coming together for the common good. Yow’s statue is holding a Wolfpack hand sign.
Everett Case, former men’s basketball coach
Nicknamed “Gray Fox,” Case served as a basketball coach for NC State from 1946 to 1964. He pushed for the completion of Reynolds Coliseum and won several Dixie Classics and southern conference tournaments.
Norm Sloan, former men’s basketball coach
Sloan was one of Case’s six “Hoosier Hotshots,” which was a team of high school starting athletes recruited from Indiana. Sloan, coined ‘Stormin’ Norman, coached for 38 seasons total at Presbyterian College, The Citadel, the University of Florida and NC State.
Joan Sloan, widow of men's basketball coach Norm Sloan, sees her husband's statue for the first time at the unveiling of the Coaches Corner in conjunction with the grand reopening of Reynolds Coliseum on Sept. 16.
