Former Purdue coach Lee Rose, who led Boilermakers to 1980 Final Four, dies
WEST LAFAYETTE - Lee Rose, who guided Purdue to its last Final Four appearance 42 years ago, died Tuesday.
The Charlotte Observer reported Rose's death after a spokesman from the Charlotte 49ers athletic department confirmed the news. Rose was 85.
Rose spent two seasons with the Boilermakers as the head coach.
He led the 1978-79 team, which knocked off No. 1 Michigan State during the regular season, to a three-way tie for first in the Big Ten and a runner-up finish in the NIT. The next season, Purdue placed third in the Big Ten but received a bid to the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Final Four where it lost to UCLA in Indianapolis. The Boilermakers beat Iowa in the third-place game.
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Rose compiled a 50-18 record during his brief stint in West Lafayette, including a 24-12 mark in Big Ten games. He left Purdue to start the program at South Florida where he spent six seasons.
Rose came to Purdue after three seasons at Charlotte where he guided the 49ers to an NIT runner-up finish in 1976 and led the program to the Final Four in 1977.
He coached future NBA player Cedric Maxwell at Charlotte and built his Purdue teams around center Joe Barry Carroll, who became the first overall selection in the 1980 NBA Draft.
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According to the Charlotte Observer, Rose was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2015.
Rose, a native of Kentucky, finished his coaching career in the NBA as an assistant with San Antonio, New Jersey, Milwaukee and Charlotte.
Mike Carmin covers Purdue sports for the Journal & Courier. Email mcarmin@gannett.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @carmin_jc
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue basketball | Lee Rose dies | 1980 NCAA Final Four
