Dave Cowens is considered by many to be the greatest player in the illustrious history of the Florida State men's basketball program.
Cowens, who led Florida State to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history in 1968, is the Seminoles' all-time leader in rebounds with 1,340 and ranks eighth in scoring with 1,479 points. He averaged 18.9 points and 17.2 rebounds during his 78-game career and is one of only six players in school history to average a double-double in points and rebounds. Cowens averaged a career-high 20.3 points per game during the 1969 season and never averaged fewer than 17 rebounds per season in any of his three seasons wearing the garnet and gold.
One of the great rebounders in college history, he still holds most of the Seminoles' rebounding records including most rebounds in a season (456) and rebounds in a career (1,340). He is one of only two players in school history to pull down more than 30 rebounds in a single game and pulled a single-game career-high 31 against LSU as a freshman. Cowens holds two of the top three and five of the top 10 top single game rebounding totals in school history.
Cowens led the Seminoles in scoring, scoring average and rebounds during each of his three varsity seasons in Tallahassee. He led the Seminoles in free throw shooting percentage in 1968 and shot nearly 70 percent from the line for his career.
Cowens averaged 18.8 points and 17.0 rebounds in leading the Seminoles to the NCAA Tournament in 1968 for the first time in school history. He led the Seminoles to a 19-8 record that season the second highest total for wins a season in program history at the time.
Cowens continued to excel once he reached the NBA. He was selected with the fourth pick in the 1970 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. During his rookie season with the Celtics, Cowens averaged 17 points and 15 rebounds per game, helping him attain the coveted Rookie of the Year honors. He enjoyed success throughout his professional career and in 1973 he received both the All-Star MVP and league MVP trophies.
Cowens was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 after being enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame in 1991. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star.
Following his standout career as a player in the NBA, he became a successful head coach as he won more than 150 games in just over four seasons. He led the Charlotte Hornets to the playoffs in both 1997 and 1998 and won more than 60 percent of his games as the Hornets' head coach. Cowens coached former Seminole star and 1995 All-ACC First-Team selection, Bob Sura, as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2001.
Cowens was inducted into the FSU Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977.
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