Departures

Bob Edwards

A radio host whose baritone voice became a morning soundtrack for millions of Americans, Edwards died Feb. 10 at age 76. After a stint in the Army, Edwards began a radio career that led him to the fledgling National Public Radio in 1974. By 1979, NPR executives entrusted Edwards with host duties for its new program, Morning Edition. With Edwards behind the mic, the show became a hit, drawing up to 13 million listeners. After Edwards won a 1999 Peabody Award and conducted some 20,000 interviews, NPR executives unceremoniously demoted him in 2004. Fans were outraged, and Edwards ultimately took his voice to satellite radio.

Lefty Driesell

Driesell, a college basketball coach who raised the profiles of four different schools’ teams while piling up 786 career wins, died Feb. 17. He was 92. Driesell played basketball at Duke and later made a living coaching high school basketball while selling World Book encyclopedias. He secured a coaching spot at Davidson College in 1960 and soon turned tiny Davidson into a powerhouse, notching two Elite Eight finishes in the men’s tournament. From 1969 to 1986, Driesell led and transformed the University of Maryland program, winning conference titles and instituting the Midnight Madness tradition. By the time he retired in 2003, he had also coached both James Madison and Georgia State to tournament appearances.