DePaul Gets New Head Coach of Breakfast Club Fame

[GarySJ]

I once argued that Jerry Wainwright would have made a good choice to succeed Seth Greenberg at USF. But by the time Greenberg got around to leaving, Wainwright had already been at Richmond a year, so he wasn't a candidate.

I liked his defensive-minded teams, and that he made a winner out of a perennial loser in the CAA. And that his best player was a Florida kid who had been overlooked by the major schools (Brett Blizzard), suggesting an ability to find gems in-state.

[Papa_Bull]

Hawkins is challenging Wainwright to a game next year.  ;D

Broncos News

Win-win for WMU, DePaul

Friday, April 29, 2005

When you're the only men's basketball head coach in school history to coach your team to consecutive 20-win seasons, the telephone IS going to ring.

Rrrrrring.

"Hello, coach Hawkins, this is DePaul University. How'd you like to come to Chicago? You can make big-time money in a big-time city. You know, we're headed to the Big East Conference next year. You'll be coaching against Boeheim and Calhoun and Brey every night. All your games will be on TV. You'll get a coach's show. So ... interested?"

Steve Hawkins, Western Michigan University's head coach, answered that call two weeks ago. Just last weekend, he was in Chicago interviewing with DePaul's athletics director and president. And who wouldn't expect him to?

Even if he wasn't looking for that next job just yet.

"It was make-a-difference kind of money," Hawkins said. "When someone talks about a $300,000 raise, to be honest, you tend to listen."

Um, yes.

And at least a $300,000 raise, considering the more than $500,000 base salary that new DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright was reported to have agreed to.

For WMU, that was the good news. A Chicago-area native, Wainwright, head coach at the University of Richmond and an acquaintance of Hawkins, was introduced as DePaul's new coach Thursday. His Chicago connection played no small role. Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul's athletics director, began Thursday's news conference by labeling it as "Jerry Wainwright's homecoming."

It is a great fit.

But look at the records of the last few years, and Hawkins -- DePaul's obvious No. 2 choice -- looked pretty strong. In two years as head coach at Western, Hawkins has a record of 46-18. In three years at Richmond, Wainwright was 50-41.

One year ago, the University of San Francisco almost lured Hawkins west, and that was just one year after the University of South Florida stole former head coach Robert McCullum away.

It is the reward, and cost, of Western achieving basketball success. Three consecutive postseason appearances. Huge crowds at University Arena. Nationally televised Bracket Buster games.

Let's not forget that.

Through it all, hundreds of e-mails, Hawkins said, zipped in over the last several days. That in no small way tugged at Hawkins' heart.

"It was very nice," he said.

And he was humbled. Two years ago, he was still an assistant for a Mid-American Conference team. A few days ago, he was a candidate for a Big East head-coaching job.

"It was a great experience to go through," he said. "I was very flattered that a school that has the tradition that DePaul has was interested in me."

And now, there's one more call to DePaul for Hawkins to make. That's the one asking -- no, challenging is the more accurate word -- Wainwright if he would like to have his Blue Demons take on the Broncos next season.

"I will call them tomorrow, see if they want to play," Hawkins said. "Absolutely."

Sounds good. What do you think, Jerry?

This is an opinion column

written by Gazette sports editor Paul Bowker. He can be reached at 388-8541 or pbowker@

kalamazoogazette.com.

http://www.mlive.com/broncos/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1114770020151720.xml

[dw4uconn]

Not a good looking man, kind of scary looking. Good lucjk to Depaul. I was shocked that Dave Leitao would leave Depaul to coach for the lowly ACC team. He could have done rgeat things at Depaul, which will beneifit by its new affiliation in the Bigeast.

I know Dave Leitao well as he was an assitant coach for the best BB program (some bias there) in the land - MY UCONN HUSKIES !!!!!

DW