McCullum Commentary

[Omniscientbull]

http://www.tbo.com/news/opinion/commentary/MGB4MUP8VME.html

There's More To Leadership Than Winning

By LINCOLN J. TAMAYO

Published: May 7, 2006

The hoopla over Gator hoops has subsided, like so much news that evaporates in our frenetic society. Except to those closely tied to Gator Nation, the recent exploits of Gainesville's basketball reptiles are already a fleeting, pleasant memory.

We have a great hoops champion in Tampa, and what he provides to those he guides lasts a lifetime and has an impact well beyond the confines of a painted wooden rectangle. This champion is Robert McCullum, head basketball coach at the University of South Florida.

One might wonder how a "champion" could lead his basketball team to a combined record of 28 wins and 59 losses in his first three years, including 7-22 this year. Indeed, if you measure a coach's greatness by the number of W's posted and trophy hardware collected, you need not read further.

Robert McCullum was born and raised in Birmingham, Ala.. He and his younger brother and sister were guided by their mother, Mamie, a beautiful woman with a strong work ethic and an abiding faith in God. Mamie always stressed to young Robert the need to help others.

In November 1966, he walked the city's white neighborhoods to rake yards to help feed his family. That a 12-year-old black boy willed himself to do this in the Birmingham of that day is especially poignant.

Without a daddy of his own, Robert found his father figure in Willie Scoggins, head basketball coach at Carol W. Hayes High School, a predominantly black inner-city school. Coach Scoggins was a disciplinarian who stressed teamwork and doing everything with class. Like any good son, McCullum still regularly calls his old coach for guidance and support.

Giving back, guiding and teaching with class are burned into Robert McCullum's soul. As he sees it, basketball frames the essence of his responsibility - to lead young men toward productive and successful lives as citizens. Athletic competition offers unique opportunities to prepare people from all walks of life to unite for the good of all. Last names, ZIP codes and skin color don't matter to him. What does matter is character, a desire to improve oneself, self-discipline, respect for authority and laws, and the ability to work well with others.

There's also that pesky "student athlete" thing, a notion that seems wholly foreign and distasteful to an alarming number of big-time college athletic programs.

McCullum wants his players - few, if any, of whom will ever grace an NBA court - to learn the enduring value of an education, for he realizes that many would not have that opportunity but for their athletic prowess.

McCullum rejects the notion that self-esteem is pre-eminent, even at the expense of self-reliance, responsibility and respect for others. He has not hesitated to show lazy, defiant, unruly and selfish players the exit if they didn't change their ways. Keep in mind that he has done this at USF while competing in the Big East, arguably the toughest Division I basketball conference in the nation.

And don't think for a Gainesville second that Coach McCullum won't bring a winning basketball tradition to USF. He has been a winner as a head coach or assistant coach throughout his college career; as he proved by his accomplishments at Southern Illinois, Western Michigan, Illinois and Florida, where in 1994 he helped lead the first group of Gators to play in the Final Four.

For the sake of the young men he leads and the institution he so admirably represents now, we must give him time at USF. How could we not admire and support a man who sticks to principles in this era of self-centeredness and instant gratification?

Robert McCullum is exactly the kind of man I'd want coaching and guiding my sons if they were competitive basketball players. With Coach McCullum, they'd be far more likely to use the placement of a round orange ball through a metal rim as a tool to become thoughtful, giving and successful men.

That's the kind of winning that endures through the ages.

[Guest Ari_Hinkelberger]

THis kind of stuff is just totally laughable.   His record is horrendous.  His previous record was just as bad.  There is nothing in his resume, his history, his bloodline to even suggest this guy is worth a ****.

The facts are the facts are the facts are the facts.  People can talk all they want about how he "is a great guy."  A "great man."  A man of "moral courage."

He was hired to win basketball games and to build a program.  He has failed miserable.  His conference record is like 7-42 and five of those wins occured in one season.  Two of the three seasons he went 1-15 in the conference.  This whole Mac episode is just one more mark on a university that is not committed to winning.  It will take a hugh financial alumni base to force these jokers in that admin building to make tough moves.  How a guy can keep his job when he wins less then 15% of the conference games he coaches in is embarrasing.

I do hope he turns it around.  If he was a horse, his odds would not be good.  Maybe this kid from AK and the point guard from Poin Ciena can make some magic.

For his sake and Woolard sakes it better happen.  Because a hall of fame coach who should be steering our team towards a path of regular NCAA tourny appearances and regular contention for a national title is sitting in Manhattan, Kansas -- about to turn around one of the worst basketball programs in Big 12 history.

This whole debacle should fall on the desk of woolard if our basketball team goes 3-13 in the B.E. next year.  Not hirring huggins might be the biggest bone head move my univesity has ever made.

[Rabbi Bull]

very well written article, brought a tear to my eye, this is why he is our coach and will be our coach for a long time, this is also why he is greater than huggins

[Guest Ari_Hinkelberger]

I hope you like sub-average results.  How about start looking for a guy who can win more then 2 games in conference -- and beat Boofoon Cookman.

No matter how loyal you are -- this guy is not defendable.  There are a lot of coaches who were great guys in all different sports...... you have to win games.  That is what you were hired to do.  A nice guy who loses every game is not worth much.  

His record is deplorable.

He will not be our coach in 5 years.  I will bet the house on it.

[Rabbi Bull]

you say he has nothing in his past to be proud of, you obviously ignore what he did to the western michigan program, turning it around from a horrible record to a 18 win season, three years after taking over the realms, and i guarantee, if we had a full team this year, we would have had a hell of a lot more wins, watch next year, you'll see a different team lead by mccullum, and you'll see a team pick up alot of victories and surprise alot of people.  i'll save you a seat on the bandwagon ari.  oh by the way, i will defend and can defend coach mccullum no matter what

[Bullpride08]

Hold on there Ari, his record may not be defendable to this point, but as a person, his character and principals those are all very defendable and worthwhile to appreciate.

I am not one to say that I am happy with the outcome the past few years, but I will also say I am not one that is willing to sell out for the presumption of potential that Huggins might have bought....and bought is the correct word.  A change may one day be necessary, I am a realist and will not ignore production, however I will cheer for CRM to succeed while he is here for the sheer fact that his integrity and character matters and if he is to succeed (there is a distinct likelihood of that occurring with the current crop of transfers he possesses) then I will be one of the happiest Bulls you will meet because we will have succeeded without compromising.  Although, to date, I will say that remains to be seen.

[Brad]

Ari, et al, it's clear your comprehension is still hindering you, the author kindly stated the following:

Indeed, if you measure a coach's greatness by the number of W's posted and trophy hardware collected, you need not read further.

You should have stopped reading at that point, but no, it gives you yet another opportunity to tell us what you have already told us several times.  Next time, pay attention please!

[Minotaur]

Bulliever,

Save your typing fingers. Ari and the like cannot recognize the value of things like "character, a desire to improve oneself, self-discipline, respect for authority and laws, and the ability to work well with others. " Nor will they get the reference to the "pesky "student athlete" thing."

They do not recognize those words. They do not see those things in the mirror and since they are obviously narcissists, the mirror holds all that is important to them. The only reason they follow USF is to agrandize themselves with victories and bragging rights in an arena where they have personaly been weighed and found wanting.

They only complain about CRM because the things he stands for do not help them add to their ego. You'll never reach that type of person with reason my friend.

[BigShoop]

Damnit, Bulliever beat me to it....  

[Knight_Light]

That was a great article Mrs. (or even Mr.) McCullum wrote!

This article in May?

Is someone's job on the line?

Weird timing if you ask me.

KL