Michael Huger introduced himself to the Falcon Nation Friday and he certainly won the day. Which is day one. There are a lot of other days that need to be won after that, and he won't be a success as BG's Coach until he is a success as BG's Coach, but I think he did communicate some things that were important to the program.
Here's the most important thing, and it was kind of an underlying thing. When Michael Huger played basketball at Bowling Green, the sport was a community event. When I went to games, I saw everyone there...my (at that time former) professors, community leaders. When BG had a home game, it was what people did. They went to the game.
That in no way is true now. Sometime in there, the community got disconnected from the men's basketball program. I don't know when. There was still a connection after WVU, for a couple years and then it kind of melted away and has never come back. The product on the floor has not helped. In the 13 seasons since WVU, BG has had 10 losing seasons and only 1 20-win season and that was last year. And the crowds you saw last year, even for big games, show that it will take more than one good year to get people back. (There are other things...I think tickets are too expensive at the Stroh, but that's another post).
Coach Huger talked about community quite a bit. He talked about starting the Junior Falcon program, which my son played in. He talked about getting the players active in the community and being active in the community himself. He said he wants to "bring everybody back." Three words, but very powerful. Someone has to rekindle the connection between the program and the fan base--on campus, students, and in BG--to generate the excitement needed to build long-term success.
Success? Right. So, Huger said exactly what every Falcon fan expects him to say about success. The goal is to win the MAC Championship and get to the NCAA tournament. He noted that BG has not been since 1968. "That's a long time," he noted.
It is.
So, we all agree on what success is. Will he get us there? Only time will tell.
I thought, however, that his passion and enthusiasm for this job and this university came through. He was very nervous when he started...which is fine, just means it is important to him. He warmed to the occasion and once he got rolling, he presented himself as an authentic, genuine, funny, and very likable person. Four of his teammates were present. He told stories about how he would organize reunions and play at Anderson with the guys from his team.
He had a couple funny stories. When he was recruited out of NYC, he told his friends he was going to Bowling Green. They would say, sure, they knew where that was. He said, YOU DO? And they were like, yeah, it is the last stop on the 6-line.
He also said being back at BG brought back memories, like "walking in the snow."
He also talked about the interviewing process. He was really funny here. Every time he went a couple days without hearing from BG, he would think "I'm out." And then another call would come in. Then the cycle would start again, until he got a call with the offer and he woke his wife up to give her the news.
Here's another interesting thing. He was asked if he ever "envisioned" himself coaching BG. You expect to hear something like "oh no, I never even dreamed of that," of "it was a dream but you don't expect it to happen."
Instead, he looked right at the questioner and said, "Yes, yes I did envision it." That was a really cool moment. It was a goal for him and he worked toward it.
He says he will play an upbeat and fun style of basketball. If true, that will be a big switch. It also might come at the right time, as I think and hope college basketball is transitioning toward shorter shot clocks and a reduction of physical play that can help restore beauty to the college game. Anyway, he says he wants to play upbeat basketball, and that would be good.
The other thing that was interesting was that he told Jordan Strack of WTOL that Anthony Stacey would be on his coaching staff . So that will be interesting to watch for. Stacey has been a successful HS Coach and was hired at UT before he left somewhat abruptly. I have no idea what that was about, but Stacey has shown he can coach.
Honestly, it was a heartwarming day. I was moved. I love the University and Michael Huger spoke with genuine affection about his feelings.
I know he doesn't even have a long record as an assistant and I know that he will need more than love of BG to win the MAC. He has to coach us past people with long track records of success. One last reminder though. Resumes aren't everything. Some people have it and some people don't. Long-time assistants at big programs might never be good head coaches and someone with a lesser resume might be a natural head coach.
I'm not saying that's Huger because I don't know. In fact, it is
unknowable. It will happen or it will not.
Our AD is under some pressure here. He has identified men's basketball as a priority. He has one shipwreck under his belt. The safest choice for him (you could argue) would have been a resume hire from a big program. He took a risk with someone who
on paper isn't as qualified. I'm going to think that he did it for a reason.
Time will tell. You cannot hide from the results.
In the meantime, it was a day to feel good about being a Falcon. Looking forward to watching this unfold.
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