Size: 6 x 9
Pages: 432
Illustrations: 61 b&w halftones

Memoir & Biography
 ebook
 hardcover
 Forthcoming
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 South Carolina History & Culture
 Sports

From the Bronx to the Bench

My Life in Basketball

Bobby Cremins
foreword by Mike Krzyzewski

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Hardcover
978-1-64336-723-1
 Published: Mar 9 2027

$29.99

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Ebook
978-1-64336-724-8
 Published: Mar 9 2027

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OA Ebook
978-1-64336-724-8
 Published: Mar 9 2027

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The inclusion of this book in the Open Carolina collection is made possible by the generous funding of

"In my 47 years as a college head basketball coach at West Point and Duke, I had the honor of competing against many of the best coaches in the country. There was no better coach, or a more genuine person, than Bobby Cremins." — Mike Krzyzewski, from the foreword

Relive the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball golden era courtside with one of its winningest coaches. In From the Bronx to the Bench, Bobby Cremins tells the story of a life shaped by basketball—from his playing days with the South Carolina Gamecocks to rebuilding Appalachian State, transforming Georgia Tech into a national power, and returning to the sideline at the College of Charleston.

Cremins learned the game in the schoolyards of the South Bronx. Raised in an Irish immigrant family, he carried hard-won lessons from New York City playgrounds and spirited Catholic-school basketball to the University of South Carolina, where Hall of Fame coach Frank McGuire became his mentor, cultivating Cremins's passion for teaching the game.

He shares with readers tales of intense recruiting battles, locker room speeches, rivalries cultivated, and season-defining games won, including Georgia Tech's three ACC Tournament championships and their run to the 1990 Final Four. Cremins also remembers the players he recruited and coached—Mark Price, John Salley, Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott, Stephon Marbury, and many others—and he recalls the legendary coaches he faced during the ACC's golden age, from Dean Smith and Jim Valvano to Mike Krzyzewski, who contributes the foreword.

More than a record of victories, From the Bronx to the Bench is a funny, candid, and deeply personal account of modern college basketball as well as the memoir of a gifted teacher and program builder who never lost the joy that first drew him to the game.



Bobby Cremins played at the University of South Carolina before serving as head coach at Appalachian State, Georgia Tech, and the College of Charleston. He won 586 career games and three ACC Tournament titles, and he led Georgia Tech to the 1990 Final Four. Cremins remains the leader of Georgia Tech's all-time coaching wins. Returning to his South Carolina basketball roots, he now lives on Hilton Head, South Carolina.

"Bobby Cremins is proof that a person can be fiercely competitive and deeply kind. His life in basketball has been marked by triumph, humor, integrity, resilience, and hard-earned wisdom. I am grateful to have been his teammate and proud to call him my friend."—John Roche, two-time ACC Player of the Year and member of the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame

"Bobby Cremins is my best friend in coaching. We came from different worlds—me from the hills of West Virginia, Bobby from New York City—but basketball brought us together, and friendship carried us far beyond it. This book shows Bobby as I know him: competitive, caring, genuine, and unforgettable."—Coach Les Robinson, former head coach and athletic director at East Tennessee State, North Carolina State, and The Citadel

"Bobby Cremins believed in Georgia Tech before anyone else did. His leadership, passion, and unwavering belief in his players built a championship program and changed countless lives—including mine. I'll always be grateful to call him my coach."—Mark Price, two-time ACC Player of the Year, four-time NBA All-Star, and four-time All-NBA selection

"When I visited Georgia Tech in 1982, I knew immediately that it was my future. Coach Cremins made me feel that all my dreams could be accomplished by putting education first and dedication to basketball second. That guidance was the secret to our success, and the lessons I learned from Coach still help me today."—John Salley, former NBA All-Star, four-time NBA champion, and member of the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame