Press Maravich Petar " Press " Maravich ( August 29 , 1915 – April 15 , 1987 ) was an American college and professional basketball coach . He received the nickname " Press " for always having gossip - styled updates in Aliquippa , Pennsylvania , a Pittsburgh suburb where he was raised . Maravich Sr . also served in the United States Naval Air Corps during World War II . Despite a long career as a coach , Maravich may best be remembered as " Pistol " Pete Maravich ' s father . Maravich graduated from Davis & Elkins College in 1941 and was a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity . Playing and coaching career . After college he played professional basketball with the Youngstown Bears ( 1945 – 1946 ) of the National Basketball League and the Pittsburgh Ironmen ( 1946 – 1947 ) of the Basketball Association of America . Press Maravich ' s first head coaching job at the college level was West Virginia Wesleyan College , 1949 – 1950 . From there he went on to become head coach of his alma mater , Davis & Elkins , 1950 – 1952 . He had previously served as an assistant under Red Brown from 1947 to 1949 . Maravich was head coach of the Tigers of Clemson University from 1956 – 1962 . He then went to North Carolina State University to be an assistant coach under Everett Case . Maravich took over the head coaching duties when health problems , namely cancer , forced Case to retire early in the 1964 – 1965 season . Maravich led the Wolfpack to the Atlantic Coast Conference title that season . Maravich left for Louisiana State University in April 1966 where he coached his son , Pete Maravich . Upon offering the LSU scholarship to " Pistol , " " Press " told his boy that " If you don ' t sign this . . . don ' t ever come into my house again . " In spite of coaching his prolific son for half of his coaching career at LSU , Maravich had an overall losing record at the school . Maravich was replaced at LSU by Dale Brown in 1972 . He then went on to coach the Mountaineers of Appalachian State before retiring from coaching in 1975 . Maravich returned to coaching in the early 1980s as associate head coach at Campbell University . Death . Petar Maravich was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the spring of 1985 . During a basketball clinic in Israel signs of his condition appeared when he had begun to urinate blood . Due to son Pete Maravich ' s strong belief in holistic healing and herbal medication , proper cancer treatment was delayed for too long to have a significant effect . Press eventually was persuaded to receive proper treatment for his condition at Memorial Sloan - Kettering Cancer Center in New York , but he canceled before being admitted . On February 11 , 1987 , Press and son Pete flew to Hanover , Germany for an experimental treatment that lasted for 11 days ; symptoms such as coughing subsided while the treatment had no effect on the cancer . Through the next two months , Press ' s condition deteriorated while Pete took constant care of him with his niece , Diana . Press Maravich lived his last days in Highland Park Hospital in Covington , Louisiana where he died shortly before 6 : 30 p . m . , April 15 , 1987 . Press Maravich lived just long enough to see Pete selected as a possible member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame , but not long enough to see him officially inducted in May 1987 . Pete Maravich is quoted as saying , " I ' ll see you soon . " to his father immediately after his death ; Pete Maravich died nine months later on January 5 , 1988 . Both father and son became born again Christians late in their lives .