Sept. 22, 1997
Director of Athletics Kevin White's Press Conference
" We're pleased to announce Don Newman as our interim head coach. The only people more enthusiastic about this than Don, is the players."
What can the fans expect to see at ASU this season?
" A lot of coaches
across the country feel that we have a fair amount of talent, and that we
have a chance to put together a great run, and have a reasonably good
campaign." I think the fans can expect to see an enthusiastic bunch of
players playing for someone that they really like."
Are you disappointed that you couldn't find someone that would fit?
" No I
am not. I think we did exactly what we intended to do. We went out and took
a good hard look, as we characterized it in plan A. See if anyone made some
sense, see if there were some people who could disconnect from their
current situation, wherein we might have found somebody that was
contractually in a position to come in our direction. Most importantly we
were looking for a long term institutional fit. Those people we talked to
were not in the position to do so. We respect that. That would have a
negative impact on their current institution."
Are you looking at a situation now with a one year interim, and then
possibly looking at someone you previously looked at?
"I think anyone and
everyone is a possibility at this juncture. We will embark on a national
search in late January, early February, and hopefully try to identify the
right person by early March. "
Coach Newman will not be considered?
"No. Coach Newman is strictly the
interim coach and will be with us through this campaign."
It's kind of awkward for him, can you respect what he is going through?
"I
have a lot of respect for Don Newman. Two things I came across on my
dealings with the basketball community is that I think a lot of people feel
that the group we have right now is a little bit stronger than what most of
us around here think. Also I think most people around the country have a
lot of respect for Don Newman. And that's great to have that reinforced by
others around the country."
Are you going to ask him to stay on as interim next year, and what are the
problems that poses with recruiting?
"That would not be my decision. Don's
future with ASU will be in the hands of the permanent head coach. Don
brings some pretty good things to the table, and he has been embraced
enthusiastically by the current group of student athletes. And he has done
a very good job with recruitment in the short-run, and has ASU being
entertained by some of the better kids in the West."
Had you offered the job to anyone?
" No, I hadn't offered the job to
anyone. We didn't discuss anything financially with anyone. We didn't bring
anyone to Tempe, Lattie Coor hasn't brought anyone to Tempe. I met with a
whole bunch of people, some of which we would have had interest in if they
were in a position to disconnect, and some of which helped me to better
understand who's out there and who's possible. What really helps is to talk
to institutions that have recently gone through the searches because you
can get a lot of information. They understand the contractual and the
financial limitations, and the emotional connections between a coach and
his current situation. I think we have learned a lot from Plan B. I think
we are further ahead for going out and testing the waters very quickly."
On the option of other coaches taking the job:
"What I told you 13 days
ago was that we were going to exercise Plan A to go out and identify
seasoned, high-profile, sitting Division One coaches, that could walk right
in and have an impact. We thought if we weren't able to yield one of those
kind of coaches, that we would revert to Plan B, when the universe will get
much larger. We will look at people that go beyond that profile. We will
look for experience, whether they are high-profile assistant coaches. The
profile becomes broader as we have much more time to look at Plan B."
Do you search as the season goes on?
"We will not. We will ask for
permission to speak with anyone. We will be paying attention and listening
carefully on what transpires when we officially ask for permission. It's a
matter of practice."
What does Don Newman bring to the team?
"He brings an enthusiasm. The
players feel he is a student-athletes coach. That he is an enthusiastic
coach. They feel a closeness to Don. He has been a head coach in a very
difficult situation. He has a better chance to compete short-term. When
Bill Frieder brought Don to us, he brought him to us enthusiastically.
People think an awful lot of Don."
Are you worried about the effect of an interim coach on recruiting?
"I
think you are always worried about recruiting. I think right now we need to
think longer term and take a longer view of the program. We have a great
opportunity to take this program to a higher level."
Have you added another assistant?
"We will. Don will. We have to work that
out over the next four or five days. He will be free to pick through us."
Given the fact that at Sacramento State he didn't have a lot to work with,
what gives him the advantages here?
"There's a better level of playing
here than he ever enjoyed at Sacramento State. He was in the early days of
a Division One school when he was there. I got a pretty good sense with
what he has to work with, regardless of his numbers. I think Don will get
them ready to play this year."
"We got a better sense of the marketplace to strategize our next move. If I had to do it again, I would do it the exact same way I did it. I would take a good hard look, just to see if anyone is available. It is a challenging way."