Coach Matt McCall a solid choice

[tom mclaughlin]

Now that the dust has settled and Matt McCall is our coach let me just let you know that this morning I had breakfast with Matt, Ryan Bamford and Dave Biancamano and came away very impressed. Coach McCall is thrilled to be in Amherst and is a high energy guy and proud to be at UMass. He also understands that we need to get players from MA and the New England AAU and Prep schools. He is very knowledgeable about the area and really wants to know the history of UMass basketball. Ryan Bamford is really proud to be at UMass and wants the best for the UMass athletic program. It's great to see the athletic department working as a team reminds me of the type of people that were at Stanford and Notre Dame when I was there. Everyone worked together for the good of the University. I have been around and seen Bill Walsh when he coached at Stanford and meeting Coach McCall I couldn't help but think back to Bill Walsh. He came to Stanford as an unassuming guy who was smart enough to put together a great staff around him and get his teams to play an exciting brand of football so he could compete with USC and UCLA. There was something about Coach McCall that got my interest and his enthusiasm is contagious and he has a high energy level. This should be an exciting era for UMass basketball and it looks like Ryan Bamford has found a hidden gem. From knowing Jack Leaman this is a guy he would have liked. Jack would appreciate that he wants to be here and be your coach. Now the fans and more importantly the students need to get behind the basketball program. There is a huge opportunity to become the best program in New England and get national attention. From what I saw this young coach and the administration plans on doing just that. Coach McCall is a solid choice and is a worker. He reminds me of the type of people that follow UMass basketball down to earth and a regular guy. After you meet him you feel good about UMass basketball. He wants to be in Amherst.

[MJatUM]

Thanks for sharing coach! Love it.

[MaxPower]

Thanks Tom! Very encouraging.

Go UMass!

[LS71]

Tom, as always, thanks for your insight.

I haven't met coach McCall but the way he presented himself in his introductory press conference left me felling like we have the right guy.

It's not easy to hit the ground running when people change jobs, especially with the very public nature of the role, relo of a family and all that goes with running a D1 hoops program like UMass...naming a staff, dealing with transfers, recruiting, scheduling etc.

Next season can't start soon enough for me.

Go UMass!

[eldonabe]

Good stuff Tom.

I have been as loud an antagonist as there was against the former administration and while I honestly would have gotten behind anyone who was not DK for the upcoming season, all indications are that MM is going to be a great choice.

I had become very numb to Umass basketball in terms of my enthusiasm. I have and will always follow them, but it has been a chore attending games for the last few years instead of something that was a distraction of anticipation all day long until tip off. McCall may have a lot to prove in the reality of it, but just the fact that it is a new face on the sidelines is a ray of hope. The DK era was the definition of insanity for me at least.

[harbo]

ooops

[harbo]

Thanks for the post Tom. As always, good stuff from you.

Good to hear of the enthusiasm and dedication to his job that he is displaying.

You mentioned that he wants to learn the history of the program. Mike has done an outstanding job of chronicling the history of UMass hoops. The main page of UMasshoops.com leads to many sources of information about the long and winding journey that brought us to this point. (just don't mention the message board quite yet - we don't want him waking in the middle of the night in a cold sweat).

[UMWally1832]

Thanks for the great post. Speaking of getting the students on board, now is the time to reverse the damage done by john nitardy.

The Bill needs students on the sidelines, not the end zones.

That's how things were in the early years of the Mullins Center until attendance started dropping.

Nitardy chased a short term strategy of placating a dwindling season ticket holder base with better seats by robbing students of a great game day experience.

[uz2b-len]

ooops

Why the oops? You know, you can delete your own posts as long as no one has posted after you. Or were you "oops-ing" something else?

[uz2b-len]

Tom, thanks so much for impression of Coach McCall. I think it confirms the good vibe that everyone has been getting around here. Now, where did you have breakfast and how was it?

[harbo]

ooops

Why the oops? You know, you can delete your own posts as long as no one has posted after you. Or were you "oops-ing" something else?

I double-posted the same thing and brain farted on how to delete it, so I just ooops it. Missed the "X"

[Butterfield76]

Great Stuff! Thanks for letting us peek behind the curtain. MM seems like the right guy and I'm excited for next season.
Go UMass

[m626t]

This post makes me feel very good about our new coach. I was excited when Tom was hired as our coach some decades ago, and his posts are thoughtful, insightful, informative, and always welcome. Thanks Tom for staying connected to the program and us fans.

[tom mclaughlin]

Just wanted to update fans before I go down to watch the Celtics. We ate in Quincy @ Craig's Cafe. Good food and it's interesting we were in Quincy where Jack Leaman is from. Talked about the fans and students and how MA fans will support you if you play hard i.e. Celtics and Patriots. Also students need to be asked to help. You need them. The band is one of the best in the country but are off to the side by themselves. Put them and students behind visiting teams bench. Make it so they hate playing in your gym just like West Virginia. Make it so they complain about traveling to Amherst.
As a result of our meeting Jackie MacMullan, Ian Thomsen SI and NBA.com and Bob Ryan have agreed to talk with Coach McCall. FYI Bob Ryan got right back to me on this. Both Jackie MacMullan and Bob Ryan began years ago covering UMass basketball and I'm hoping they will look at us again in a good light. Also contacted management with the Celtics and got a favorable response to helping.
Reached out to a long time friend in the NBA Donnie Walsh and he has agreed to speak with Coach McCall. Donnie Walsh is a tremendous resource in that he has been a college assistant, an NBA head coach, a general manager of Indiana, and a President @ Indiana and NY. He has also been nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame. These are positive steps that can help the program.

[DearOleUMass]

Wow, thanks for the info Tom, it's greatly appreciated.