5-on-5
with Rhode Island's Jim Baron and Cal-Poly's Kevin Bromley
It has been brought to my attention that my friend at Forehead State
-- I mean Morehead State -- Kyle Macy has submitted a
column on the importance of senior leadership and how the lack there of
can be detrimental to a team's success.
Now there is a topic that we can all relate too.
That is a column that I look forward to reading.
I have still not heard from "Mr. Clean," Virginia Tech's Seth
Greenberg. For a guy who is never lacking commentary, he has been
awful quiet. There is no question that Seth and some of my other good
friends will be a part of the 2003 rendition of 'twas the night before
Christmas, which will be posted on CollegeInsider.com on
Christmas Eve.
CI's Grasshopper won't find his name dragged through the mud of
the poem, but he warrants a mention today. The basketball version of
David Carradine tabbed "Saturday Night Fever" as his all-time
favorite movie, in his most recent column.
Good choice "Mr. Kung-Fu," but I am more interested in your
recent challenge to the media. In case you missed the line that he
tactfully buried in a recent column, Grasshopper volunteered CI's
Matt Drake and Joe Dwyer to partake in a 3-on-3 basketball
challenge with any three members of the media.
Hey Hopper, how about three coaches? I am thinking that me and my fellow
"Portly and Stout" member Jeff Ruland (Iona) would present
a formidable challenge. I'll add Kyle Macy, who I am sure can
still rip the twine.
I am not familiar with your game Mr. Carradine, but I do know
that Mr. Drake had a Division I game, coming out of high school.
As for the editor-in-chief (Dwyer), his game is lacking. Now if this was
a baseball challenge, I would make him my first choice. As a
matter of fact, I would like to see Dwyer on the hill and Kelvin
Sampson in the batter's box.
Both Kelvin and Dwyer were terrific college players, but I'd be willing
to bet that Dwyer would ring-up Sampson. And he would certainly tag a
few Sampson pitches as well.
Good luck "Mr. Hopper" with your 3-on-3 challenge.
As for 5-on-5, this time we focus in on a couple of coaches that are
doing a tremendous jobs, on opposite coasts.
Jim Baron has really turned things around Rhode Island and
Kevin Bromley was just a couple of possessions away from taking
Cal-Poly to the NCAA tournament last season.
DAVE MAGARITY: During your first season, as an assistant at
Rochester, what opened your eyes most about coaching?
JIM BARON (RHODE ISLAND): The first and most important thing I
learned was the importance of building relationships with the players.
This was very important to me as a player at St. Bonaventure. Rochester
is an excellent institution and was a great way for me to start my
coaching career.
MAGARITY: In your time spent at St. Francis (PA) did you have an
opportunity to read about some of the great accomplishments of alumnus,
David Magarity?
BARON: (laughing) Dave was a great player and is a terrific
coach. He?s a better person than he is a coach. He?s doing an excellent
job at Marist now.
MAGARITY: In addition to St. Francis, you resurrected basketball
at St. Bonaventure, talk about your keys to laying a solid foundation.
BARON: A lot of what I learned came from the six years I spent as
an assistant to Digger Phelps at Notre Dame. You have to build your
success on the student-athletes. You have to recruit the right type of
individual; one who wants to succeed on the court and in the classroom.
It just so happened that St. Francis was a school built on Franciscan
values. I spent time at my alma mater, St. Bonaventure, as an assistant
to Jim Satalin, and those values were driven into me. When I came back
as head coach it was an easy sell because AI believed in the program,
the tradition and the values. The environment was conducive to learning
and playing. There are very few distractions in Olean, N.Y.
MAGARITY: Every year, at the Final Four, you have helped run the
basketball clinics for Special Olympians. Talk about your involvement
with this terrific cause.
BARON: The Special Olympics is something I?ve always believed I
need to do. It gives me the opportunity to extend myself to those less
fortunate. My assistant coaches and even my son, Jimmy, have been
involved in the work of Special Olympics. I do this every year because
it helps keep everything else in proper perspective. To see a smile on a
face of a Special Olympian is far better than any win.
MAGARITY: I understand your wife, Cindy, is a tremendous artist.
Any chance that we will see a painting of Mr. Jim Baron and any chance
she could do a painting of me?
BARON: Once Cindy painted a portrait of me and I think that
forced her to get into specializing in painting landscapes. She tries
not to paint many portraits. She?s very demanding and a perfectionist.
And portraits are oftentimes in the eye of the beholder. Since then she
has concentrated on landscapes and nautical scenes.
DAVE
MAGARITY: As an assistant at Cal-Poly you were part of
rebuilding a program that was not-far removed from a 1-26 mark.
KEVIN BROMLEY (CAL-POLY): I was an assistant my first year at Cal
Poly under Jeff Schnieder, we won 16 games. It was one of the biggest
turnarounds NCAA history. I was not part of the 1-26 program,
however I was at Southern Utah and we beat Cal Poly three times that
year.
MAGARITY: You came within a wink of making the NCAA's. How much
has getting that close motivated your returning players?
BROMLEY: Coming within three points of the NCAA Tournament has
helped the players in the weight room, summer workouts and a belief that
they can be a premier team in the conference.
MAGARITY: You are described as being a tireless worker. Give me a
typical day for Kevin Bromley.
BROMLEY: I can't sleep from 2-5 am. I watch tape and study
opponents and worry (laughing). At 7:00 a.m. I spend time with my wife
and 8:00 am I am in the office. We have practice from 11:30-2:00
p.m. and then 2:00 to 5:00 is dedicated to staff meetings and returning
phone calls. At 7:30 it's dinner with the family, but two hours later
it's back to basketball and watching more tape.
MAGARITY: Who has made the biggest impact on your coaching
philosophy?
BROMLEY: A number of coaches have influenced my life. My
High School coach was Duane B. Lewis, Junior College coach Rusty Parker
and college coach Tony McAndrews.
MAGARITY: If they made a movie about Kevin Bromley, who would you
want to play the lead role?
BROMLEY: Kevin Costner. Great first name and he is down to earth
and lets his emotions and true self appear.
