COACH

Pete Carril coached basketball at Princeton for 29 seasons (1967-1996). Upon his retirement from college coaching, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. Nicknamed "The Little Professor" by some of his Princeton players, Pete Carril emphasized a strong work ethic, the importance of team-versus-self orientation and personal humility. His mantra was to compete hard every day, play to win, but always win with integrity. His Princeton teams became known for their intelligent play and routinely achieved levels of success far beyond their individual athletic skills.
Pete Carril was also a character. He was intense and demanding, but also funny and entertaining. As former Princeton star and NBA Co-Rookie of the Year Geoff Petrie stated, "Pete Carril was a unique force of nature. He could create his own weather on a basketball court." He was known for being brutally honest with his players. His style was tough love for all. Despite this, more than 30 former Princeton players came together in 2022 to write short chapters about their memories of times with a man who coached them 26-55 years ago.
COACH is the collection of these stories. While every chapter is unique, the commentaries illustrate that Pete Carril was a teacher committed to making his players better and making his teams better, but also a teacher committed to preparing his players for life after Princeton.
COACH is the untold story of a coaching legend and the lasting impact he had on his players.