January 17, 2008

As we all know, building a program is a difficult process for coaches, players, and fans. When you are a coach, as legendary former Washington Redskin coach George Allen once said, “losing is like dying.” As all coaches know, the elation of a win does not last nearly as long, nor is it nearly as intense as the despair of a loss. I recently had an opportunity to bring some perspective to these emotions.

A few hours before a game last week, a coaching friend, Kevin Weeren, of Freedom School in South Riding, Virginia, e-mailed me and told me a story about his brother, who is serving in the Army in Iraq. His brother, Joe, and his unit were sent to clear a house suspected of harboring insurgents. Upon arriving at the house, they entered and found no occupants. Joe was on top of the house when it exploded. He fell into the house, suffering a severe concussion and other minor injuries. After regaining his senses, Joe helped dig some of his fellow soldiers out of the rubble. Joe lost six of his friends that day, and we lost six brave soldiers. After helping his friends, Joe staggered into the nearby village and apprehended the man who had led them into the trap…Sometimes, we coaches and players get lost in our world of wins and losses and lose sight of the bigger picture—the real world…While I appreciate the meaning behind George Allen’s words, what my Joe Weeren is doing in Iraq is much more serious than trying to win a basketball game. Losing is nothing like dying…

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Later that same night, I got into my car after a difficult loss and turned on the radio, quickly finding a college basketball broadcast. Much to my surprise, the score of the George Washington-St. Louis game was 34-8 with 12 minutes left in the game. That record setting game finished with GW defeating St. Louis 49-20. This was major college basketball. The coach of St. Louis, Rick Majerus, is highly respected in coaching circles, having built a very strong program at the University of Utah. As I talked about this game with our kids the next day, I wanted them to understand that many teams at all levels go through tough times and through growing pains. We do not have the market cornered on tough losses. Again, some perspective…We players and coaches sometimes live in a bubble, forgetting that there are teams at all levels throughout the country going through every imaginable situation.

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I can’t remember ever feeling like I had time to read a book during basketball season. If I would read anything, it would certainly be basketball related. For some reason this winter, I picked up a book that my wife had finished. 102 Minutes, by Jim Dwyer and Kevin flynn, details the events of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center. The title refers to the amount of time elapsed between the first plane striking the towers and the collapse of the second tower. Many stories are told based on phone calls made to relatives and 911 operators, and based on interviews with survivors. Accounts range from those stranded on the higher floors of the towers, to firefighters and law enforcement personnel responding to the scene. Again, losing is not like dying…

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We are very lucky to coach a great game. The impact that the game of basketball has had on my life is tremendous. Words cannot describe the highs and lows that coaches feel nor the powerful feeling of doing what you love with all the energy and passion that you can muster. Sometimes, however, it is important to put things in perspective. I had an opportunity this winter to reflect and gain some perspective. We will try to win every game the rest of the way, and I will coach as hard as I can and with all the passion and energy that I can generate. I will, however, win or lose, try to keep it in perspective.

YEAR TWO
By Brian Doyle

As I head into my second year as a member of the voting panel for the Hugh Durham Award, honoring the top mid-major college coach in the country, I am bracing for some tough decisions this year.

Following the great success of local favorite George Mason and many other mid-majors last year, the mid majors are off to a great start this year. Perhaps most notable is Butler University, which already boasts wins over Notre Dame, Indiana, and Tennessee.

Other mid-majors making headlines include Oral Roberts, with a win over Kansas, Marist defeating Minnesota, and Old Dominion beating Georgetown in McDonough Gym. The mid-majors are indeed off to a great start, which I think is great for college basketball. I look forward to following the season, leading up to the mid season Hugh Durham voting.

For more information on the Hugh Durham Award, go to: http://www.HughDurhamAward.com

YEAR ONE
By Brian Doyle

Over the winter holidays between our tournament at Mt. Vernon, practice, scouting, and of course family activities, I found myself scouring college basketball web sites late at night. Why, you might ask? Other than the fact that I am a huge fan, I was invited this year to become a member of the voting panel for CollegeInsider.com’s “Hugh Durham Award.” The Hugh Durham Award is presented each year to the Mid-Major Coach of the Year. CollegeInsider.com also names a mid-season “Hugh Durham Award” winner. I had to have my vote in by December 31, so I found myself up late on December 30. The very nature of the award is to recognize coaches who are not in high profile leagues and do not receive much recognition. I really had to do some research.

We live in an area with some strong mid-major programs, such as George Mason, and Old Dominion, and other CAA and Patriot League schools. I was pretty familiar with those schools, so I found myself researching schools like Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Albany, and Buffalo, among many others.

When all was said and done, I had to list my top five nominees. My top vote getter was Pat Flannery of Bucknell. They had a great record and some real quality wins. After beating Kansas last year in the NCAA tournament, they weren’t sneaking up on anybody, but were still racking up impressive non-conference wins against notable schools like Syracuse, DePaul, and St. Joe’s. Coach Flannery ended up as the mid-season Hugh Durham winner.

Now it is March, and in addition to preparing our off season plans, attending regional and state tournament games, I am again poring over the internet, as I prepare to vote for my end of the year Hugh Durham Award winner.

Check it out at www.HughDurhamAward.com 
 

ONE ON ONE WITH HOLY CROSS HEAD COACH RALPH WILLARD

BRIAN DOYLE: Who are the top five Patriot league players you have seen in your time in the league, excluding HC players?

RALPH WILLARD: That’s a tough question. This is my fifth season in the league and there have been a lot of talented players to come through league in that time. If I had to put together a five-man team, minus Holy Cross players, I would start with Brian Ehlers who played at Lafayette. The other four would include Chris Williams (Navy), Patrick Doctor (American), Chris Spatola (Army) and Dan Bowen (Bucknell).

DOYLE: Who is the best walk-on you ever coached?

WILLARD: Guillermo Sanchez. Guillermo was a hard-nosed young man from All Hallows H.S. in the Bronx. He was a great defender who brought it every day in practice and was a significant contributor in games.

DOYLE: Who has the toughest home court in the Patriot League?

WILLARD: As you know coach, anywhere you play on the road is tough, but playing at American and Lafayette is always a little bit tougher. Lafayette is an extremely difficult place for visiting teams, especially if you have not been there before. And the same is true at American. Those are tough places for non-conference opponents to visit.

DOYLE: What coach from another sport do you most admire?

WILLARD: Bill Parcells. He is a winner. There is no compromise with coach Parcells. You do it his way or you are not around for long, but the results speak for themselves.

DOYLE: Who is the best speaker you ever heard at a coaches’ clinic?

WILLARD: I would have to say Hubie Brown. Everybody knows Hubie from his television work, but I don’t know if young fans really understand what a tremendous coach he was. He is a great teacher and a great motivator as well.