On the surface, Pete Gillen and I do not have much in common. I am not from Brooklyn, do not have red hair and have not been a member of a gold medal-winning team (Gillen was an assistant coach on Dream Team II). I certainly do not have a 10-year contract. I do, however, have some Irish heritage in me.
Nevertheless, despite our vast differences, when it comes to recent coaching success, we seem to be on a collision course. Let me explain.
I began coaching a team of 11 and 12-year-olds last winter in the City of Charlottesville Youth Basketball League. Undaunted by my rookie year performance, I began my sophomore season this past December roaming the benches with a new team and the same dream of winning a title. Despite my best intentions, with two games remaining in the regular season this year, my combined career coaching record stands at an impressively embarrassing 0-12.
Similarly, Gillen has coached the Cavaliers to their second consecutive disappointing season. Although he has been able to muster up a couple victories the past two years (even if it were against the Mount St. Marys of the world), the program is in danger of slipping into the abyss of unacceptable.
Even within the Detroit Tiger-esque winning totals, our coaching styles are similar. We both like the up-tempo, pressing and fast-breaking game plan. We sub in and out at will and are never afraid of calling a quick timeout when things seem to be crumbling (needless to say, I don't have to consider upcoming television timeouts).
Although my players are assigned rather than recruited, we both have had some of our starters maligned with disciplinary action. While Keith Jenifer and Jermaine Harper were playing "who can see the inside of a jail cell the fastest" last year, I had several players suspended for games for their own little versions of "conduct detrimental to the team."
While I do not have nearly the sweating capacity my counterpart does, I, too, am constantly barking orders and encouragements to my players to the point my voice is hoarse at the end of every game (you'll understand if you have ever listened to a Gillen post-game press conference).
With his engaging sense of humor and extremely likable personality, Gillen is a great public relations guy (even if it means damage control or putting the best face on disappointing circumstances). He has always put a premium on making the game fun (or at least trying to) -- even if the win-loss results are disappointing. Similarly, I have defined my role as coach to be about ensuring enjoyment and not to be validated by victories. Nevertheless, as Gillen could surely attest, without wins, the seeds of discontent can turn into a groundswell.
Both of our teams lack a big body who will take charge of the paint defensively-- someone to say "no layups in my house" as if he were a devoted and passionate spokesperson for Under Armor. Rebounding remains another Achilles' Heel for each of our squads.
However, there is enough talent on both teams to make a late season run, if for no other reason than pride. Despite their maddening inconsistencies, each team has shown flashes of brilliance (I said flashes, not stretches) and some recent signs of improvement (see Maryland, not N.C. State, in Gillen's case).
With that said, tomorrow night marks a possible defining moment for both of our squads. We're on the ropes, against the wall and need to come out swinging (along with any other appropriate sports analogy for "we need a win" you can think of). For the Cavaliers, Wednesday evening presents the best opportunity to turn around their season as they face Duke, the No. 1 team in the country, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a nationally televised game.
By the time the Duke-Virginia match tips off (7 p.m.), I will be making halftime adjustments to my team in an untelevised game played at a neutral middle school site.
If Gillen can pull off the upset win with his team, then I know mine can do the same. But even if we both come up a little short, at least I don't have to worry about my job security. Or do I ...
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