Rollie Massimino was on hand to see Villanova cut down the nets in April, but the former Wildcat head coach was not in Washington D.C. when the team got a chance to visit the White House and President Barack Obama.
Massimino, who coached Nova to the 1985 national title and is an absolutely beloved figure in the city of Philadelphia, was in Houston for the national title game but did not make it to Villanova’s win over Oklahoma due to health issues; he was reportedly dealing with kidney stones, a blood clot and his wife’s health as well.
President Obama, who is quite proud of the fact that he is a basketball junkie, penned a letter to the legend, which was shared by current Villanova head coach Jay Wright on Monday night:
President Obama's letter to Coach Mass ! Great respect for POTUS and RVM pic.twitter.com/IugcOlxEw7
— Jay Wright (@CoachJayWright) June 6, 2016