Completed Event: Men's Basketball at FIU on November 24, 2025 , Win , 80, to, 72
MBB
Final
James Madison
80
at FIU
72
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Former JMU Coach Lou Campanelli to join Homecoming Festivities
10/23/2015 10:29:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HARRISONBURG, Va. – While James Madison University hosts one of the biggest events in its athletics history this weekend with ESPN's College GameDay on campus, a highly-decorated period of the university's men's basketball program also will be commemorated during JMU Homecoming festivities.
Former Dukes' coach Lou Campanelli (1972-85) will hold a book signing Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the JMU bookstore. Campanelli's book, "Dare To Dream," details the development of the JMU program during his 13 seasons in Harrisonburg.
The publication, which is subtitled "How James Madison University became co-ed and shocked the world," discusses the program's transition, from the early days of first awarding athletic grants-in-aid to joining the NCAA Division I ranks and later posting victories over teams from major conferences during three straight NCAA tournaments.
Campanelli came to then-Madison College in 1972, assuming direction of a program that had begun playing a fully-recognized NCAA varsity schedule just three seasons prior (1969-70) and had awarded its first scholarship that spring. The Dukes were invited to the NCAA Division II Tournament during Campanelli's second season (1973-74), moved to Division I for the 1976-77 campaign and won NCAA Tournament games over Georgetown, Ohio State and West Virginia, respectively, from 1981-83.
Campanelli compiled a 238-118 record at JMU before becoming the head coach at the University of California, and his JMU teams won Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Tournament titles in 1981 and 1983, receiving an at-large NCAA Tournament bid in 1982. He remains the all-time winningest coach in JMU men's basketball history and had a winning percentage of .696 with the Dukes.
The 1973-74 NCAA Division II Tournament invitation came after a 20-4 regular season, and the Dukes competed in the tournament again after compiling an 18-7 regular-season record in 1975-76.
The Dukes moved to Division I for the 1976-77 campaign and their success under Campanelli continued. They were 17-9 during their first Division I season and 18-8 for three consecutive seasons from 1977-78 to 1979-80.
JMU burst onto the national scene during the 1981 NCAA Tournament after beating William & Mary and Richmond in the ECAC South Tournament in Hampton, Va. The Dukes beat Georgetown 61-55 in Providence, R.I., in first-round NCAA play before falling 54-45 to Notre Dame on national television in the second round. None of the Dukes' 1980-81 losses was by more than nine points, two came in overtime and one was a one-point defeat to Virginia's Ralph Sampson-led team that reached the Final Four.
The Dukes put together the program's most-successful season in 1981-82, going 22-4 during the regular season and receiving an NCAA bid after finishing second in the ECAC South Tournament. JMU rallied to beat Ohio State 55-48 in Charlotte, N.C., in their first-round NCAA game, before falling 52-50 in the second round to North Carolina's eventual national championship team that included Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins. Like the Notre Dame game the season before, the 1982 game with North Carolina was a nationally-featured Saturday television contest.
In 1982-83, JMU beat Navy and William & Mary in the ECAC South Tournament in Richmond, Va., to secure a third straight NCAA bid. The Dukes defeated West Virginia 57-50 during the first round of NCAA play in Greensboro, N.C., before falling to North Carolina for the second straight season, 68-49.
Campanelli coached at California into the 1992-93 season and later oversaw men's basketball officials for the Pacific 10 Conference. He continues to reside in California.
JMU Under Lou Campanelli
1972-73 16-10
1973-74 20-6 NCAA Division II Tournament
1974-75 19-6
1975-76 18-9 NCAA Division II Tournament
1976-77 17-9 First Division I Season
1977-78 18-8
1978-79 18-8
1979-80 18-8
1980-81 21-9 ECAC Tournament Champion
1981-82 24-6 NCAA At-Large Bid
1982-83 20-11 ECAC Tournament Champion
1983-84 15-14
1984-85 14-14
Former Dukes' coach Lou Campanelli (1972-85) will hold a book signing Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the JMU bookstore. Campanelli's book, "Dare To Dream," details the development of the JMU program during his 13 seasons in Harrisonburg.
The publication, which is subtitled "How James Madison University became co-ed and shocked the world," discusses the program's transition, from the early days of first awarding athletic grants-in-aid to joining the NCAA Division I ranks and later posting victories over teams from major conferences during three straight NCAA tournaments.
Campanelli came to then-Madison College in 1972, assuming direction of a program that had begun playing a fully-recognized NCAA varsity schedule just three seasons prior (1969-70) and had awarded its first scholarship that spring. The Dukes were invited to the NCAA Division II Tournament during Campanelli's second season (1973-74), moved to Division I for the 1976-77 campaign and won NCAA Tournament games over Georgetown, Ohio State and West Virginia, respectively, from 1981-83.
Campanelli compiled a 238-118 record at JMU before becoming the head coach at the University of California, and his JMU teams won Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Tournament titles in 1981 and 1983, receiving an at-large NCAA Tournament bid in 1982. He remains the all-time winningest coach in JMU men's basketball history and had a winning percentage of .696 with the Dukes.
The 1973-74 NCAA Division II Tournament invitation came after a 20-4 regular season, and the Dukes competed in the tournament again after compiling an 18-7 regular-season record in 1975-76.
The Dukes moved to Division I for the 1976-77 campaign and their success under Campanelli continued. They were 17-9 during their first Division I season and 18-8 for three consecutive seasons from 1977-78 to 1979-80.
JMU burst onto the national scene during the 1981 NCAA Tournament after beating William & Mary and Richmond in the ECAC South Tournament in Hampton, Va. The Dukes beat Georgetown 61-55 in Providence, R.I., in first-round NCAA play before falling 54-45 to Notre Dame on national television in the second round. None of the Dukes' 1980-81 losses was by more than nine points, two came in overtime and one was a one-point defeat to Virginia's Ralph Sampson-led team that reached the Final Four.
The Dukes put together the program's most-successful season in 1981-82, going 22-4 during the regular season and receiving an NCAA bid after finishing second in the ECAC South Tournament. JMU rallied to beat Ohio State 55-48 in Charlotte, N.C., in their first-round NCAA game, before falling 52-50 in the second round to North Carolina's eventual national championship team that included Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins. Like the Notre Dame game the season before, the 1982 game with North Carolina was a nationally-featured Saturday television contest.
In 1982-83, JMU beat Navy and William & Mary in the ECAC South Tournament in Richmond, Va., to secure a third straight NCAA bid. The Dukes defeated West Virginia 57-50 during the first round of NCAA play in Greensboro, N.C., before falling to North Carolina for the second straight season, 68-49.
Campanelli coached at California into the 1992-93 season and later oversaw men's basketball officials for the Pacific 10 Conference. He continues to reside in California.
JMU Under Lou Campanelli
1972-73 16-10
1973-74 20-6 NCAA Division II Tournament
1974-75 19-6
1975-76 18-9 NCAA Division II Tournament
1976-77 17-9 First Division I Season
1977-78 18-8
1978-79 18-8
1979-80 18-8
1980-81 21-9 ECAC Tournament Champion
1981-82 24-6 NCAA At-Large Bid
1982-83 20-11 ECAC Tournament Champion
1983-84 15-14
1984-85 14-14
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