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Vic Bubas, who coached Duke to three Final Fours, dies at 91

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DURHAM, N.C. — Former Duke coach Vic Bubas, who led the Blue Devils to three Final Fours in 10 seasons, died at 91.

School spokesman Jon Jackson says family members told him Bubas died on Monday. No cause of death was given.

“Duke Basketball lost a true legend earlier today,” said Krzyzewski. “When I first arrived at Duke, Coach Bubas gave me the best advice. Essentially, he told me to be myself and to focus solely on Duke, while not getting caught up in everything going on around us. We have tried to honor him over the years by playing a level of basketball that lived up to his very high standards, and to those of the program he built here in the 1960s. We offer our deepest sympathy to the Bubas family, particularly to his wife Tootie, as well as their friends and the multitude of great players who attended this university during Coach Bubas’ tenure. He was a terrific coach, and more importantly, a special leader who will be missed greatly.”

Bubas went 213-67 with the Blue Devils from 1959-69 and won the first of his four Atlantic Coast Conference titles in his first season. He led Duke to Final Fours in 1963, 1964 and 1966.

He played on North Carolina State’s Final Four team in 1950 and served as commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference for 14 years.