What is the measure of a college basketball coach's greatness? It is an amorphous concept, to be sure. In the Sportscenter era, some college coaches, such as Mike Krzyewski, develop a quasi-cultish following and enjoy celebrity exposure. Celebrity reputations notwithstanding, there is only one measurable standard by which to judge a college coach's career: How many games has he won?
Under the radar of the national and local media and the significant portion of the College that was away for Interterm, in a modest pre-game ceremony at the Jeffs' Jan. 7 win over Williams College in LeFrak Gymnasium, Amherst College men's basketball head coach Dave Hixon was honored for his 500th career victory, which occurred on Jan. 2 when the Jeffs beat Pomona-Pitzer College 61-42 at the Occidental Classic in Los Angeles, California. The magnitude of Hixon's achievement was insulted by the smallness of the ceremony. I didn't fully realize its significance until I referred to the NCAA record book, which offers helpful numerical perspective.
In the 69-year period since NCAA men's basketball began keeping modern statistics, 65 Div. I men's basketball coaches have won more than 500 games. Merely 14 of those are active today, and that list includes Bobby Knight, Lute Olsen, John Chaney, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Gary Williams, and Krzyewski. In Div. II, 25 coaches all-time have notched more than 500 career wins. Six of those are active. Finally, the most relevant statistic: in Div. III, 17 coaches all-time have won 500 games or more, including Hixon. Seven are active.
By the most logical numerical criterion, Amherst College's own Dave Hixon is among the greatest coaches in the history of American college basketball. Hixon's career numbers are even more staggering when broken down year-by-year. He began as Amherst's head coach in 1977 and in less than a decade had turned a .500 team into a consistent winner. On three separate occasions his teams have broken the College's record for single-season win total-in 2000-01, 2002-03, and 2003-04. Season win totals in the mid- to high-20s have become the norm under Hixon, as have loss totals that hover perennially around five. For 29 seasons Hixon has been a winner and an Amherst fixture. Now he is a legend.
I was present for the Jan. 7 home game against Williams in LeFrak, along with a few other students. Amherst students appeared to number less than 100, while a rowdy pack of Eph supporters flooded the baseline seats adjacent to the Jeffs bench, in prime position both to dominate cheering and scream at our players. In the end, this awkward away-game-at-home dynamic didn't matter, since the Jeffs built a late second half lead to turn a tie game into a win, and sophomore Matt Goldsmith's last-second one-handed breakaway dunk sent a clear message to Williams to be ready for the game between the two teams that counts for NESCAC play on Feb. 3. But there is something pathetic-almost unforgivable-about allowing an opposing team's fan base, especially Williams'-to run amok in our home gym. What then is the value of home court advantage? Our Athletic Department encounters this problem every other year, when the game against Williams in LeFrak does not count for conference play and thus must occur before the later contest in Williamstown, Mass. There is a solution: Delay the home game until our first day back from Interterm.
Mangini appears Jet-lagged
After hearing that Jets' head coach Herman Edwards had effectively been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a bag of peanuts, I tried taking solace in the apparent certainty that Eric Mangini, the one-year Patriots defensive coordinator and Bill Belichick protégé, would institute some time management efficiency and finally install a viable post-Paul Hackett offense. But in his first New York media test, handling hardball questions from Chris Russo and Mike Francessa on WFAN, Mangini sounded like a child frozen in shock on the stage of a spelling bee. Eric, how are you going to deal with Pennington's injuries; Eric, will you bring in new coordinators; Eric, aren't you a bit inexperienced to handle the media pressure? His answers were disjointed and vapid and hopefully reflect circumspection rather than naiveté.
Carter questions Bryant's team spirit
It's hard to feel empathy for a professional athlete, but if I did, he'd have to be a Laker who doesn't wear #8 and therefore doesn't touch the ball. Lost in the Kobe Byrant 81-point circus were his self-aggrandizing "something special just happened" post-game comments and his team's mediocre record. Vince Carter candidly wondered if Bryant's performance might encourage kids to play selfishly and outside their abilities-a reasonable and refreshingly honest assessment. Carter got slammed by the media for being a Kobe-hater, which was almost as absurd as the media's condemnation of Carter when he attended his college graduation in 2001 on the day of a playoff game in an era when education and basketball often seem mutually exclusive.