He has been the head basketball coach at Xavier, Providence and the University of Virginia. He has now turned his focus to the media and is a game analyst for CBS College Sports Network.
Not bad for a Fairfield University graduate (‘68) with a degree in English Literature.
Pete Gillen met with The Mirror recently to discuss his time at Fairfield and his thoughts on Stags basketball for the upcoming season.
When you were a student here at Fairfield, was it your dream to become a college basketball coach and a TV commentator?
I didn’t know what was going to happen. In other words, I loved sports and was fortunate enough to play basketball and baseball here. When I got out of college, I wasn’t good enough to play in the pros. I went to a couple baseball tryouts but I didn’t get very far. So instead of playing sports, I filled that vacuum by coaching. I coached grade school and high school and then college. I was playing baseball still, in some rec leagues with some ex-pros and some college guys. So I kept playing baseball, but basketball, I filled the vacuum by coaching.
And that helped me with that competitiveness and being around sports. Sports were a big part of my life. I didn’t know what was going to happen, I hoped to play pro baseball one day but I just wasn’t good enough.
When you were here at Fairfield, what classes would you say helped you now that you’re in sports commentary?
I had a world history class with Carmen Donnarumma (namesake of Donnarumma Hall). He taught me to do the little things. The little things are the big things. I try to be really organized and pay attention to every little detail. I always try to remember somebody’s name. Just those little things, he taught me that. The little things are the big things and organization is important.
And then, you know, giving it your best. I had to give my best to get good grades. I was just an average student, I had to give my best to get good grades.
Turning our focus to Fairfield Basketball, signing Coach Cooley to an extension and with the improvement we’ve seen in the team, do you think that Fairfield could develop into a consistent winner at the mid-major level?
I think so. I think they could do very well. I think they have a chance this year, you have to be lucky with injuries, if they could stay healthy, they have a chance to go to the post season, the NIT or maybe the NCAA and I think they can continue to be one of the top two or three teams in the MAAC every year.
A lot of pre-season publications have rankings out and some are saying Fairfield could win the MAAC. Do you think they could win the MAAC this year?
I think so. I think they have a realistic shot. Derek Needham, the point guard, is really good. I think they have a chance. The tough part is in a league like the MAAC, you have to be strong that one weekend (of the tournament). Friday, Saturday, and Sunday or Saturday, Sunday. So you have to win three games in three days usually. That’s the only bad thing, if somebody turns an ankle… I think they have a realistic chance of winning the title. It’s not going to be easy, Siena is good, St. Peter’s is good, Iona is good. It is not a given. But I think they have a very legitimate chance of winning the championship.
There has been some talk about building an on-campus arena. Do you think this would be a good idea or should they continue to play their games at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport?
I’d love to have a place on campus, but it’s not realistic right now in the economy, unfortunately. The economy isn’t great and it’s going to be that way for a while. I think being over at Harbor Yard will be good for the short term.
One day my dream would be to have a five or six thousand seat arena on campus like Villanova has right now. It might be a long time; it might be down the road. This way you include the students. When I played here many years ago, the students all came. The enthusiasm was great and it made the quality of life for students so much better. They had something to look forward to, to take pride in, they had fun. You go to Harbor Yard, it’s good, but I think a place with five or six thousand people would be perfect. And you know, if you’re good, and you have the right coach now, if you’re good, they’ll come. You’ll get a lot of students and it will become the thing to do. But, I think, unfortunately, that’s a ways away. But that would be my dream.
Now, getting into your coaching career, who was the biggest influence in your coaching career?
I had two people. I had Digger Phelps, my boss at Notre Dame, he really helped me. I watched him when I was a high school coach and Rollie Massamino when he my boss at Villanova. Digger taught me about the little things that they don’t normally teach you. Little things are the big things. Little things like the tightness of the rim or the basketball.
An example, real quick, is my first year at Notre Dame, I scouted Indiana. It was my first year there and I had been studying Indiana for two or three months before the season, looking at tapes from last year and at their exhibitions. So the first meeting with all the coaches, I had all these notes and they said, what type of ball do they use at Indiana? Digger Phelps said what kind of ball was it? I said I don’t know and he said you son of a gun, we’re not in high school anymore. He said well the game is at Indiana, they have a choice of the ball, so we want to practice all week with their type of ball. So he said, the little things are the big things. And I never forgot it. So when I see a game from now on, I always know what kind of ball they’re using. My point is, the little things.
Digger taught me that and Rollie taught me the sense of family. You know, being together, and having a close team. He would have the team over his house for dinner once every two or three weeks. Those are the two biggest influences, Digger and Rollie Massimino.
I understand you’re the winningest coach in the history of Xavier Men’s Basketball. Could you talk about some of the keys to becoming so successful?
Thank you. We had great support from the top of the University down. The president, the admissions people were on board, and we had a great academic advisor. From the top down, they wanted to win, they supported the team… Ohio is a great state and the Midwest has a lot of cities with good players. There are a lot of players there. We tried to recruit quick players, athletes; we pressed them into our style.
We had great talent, that’s why we won a lot of games. We had support, we had great assistants that worked hard and helped me a lot, because you can’t do it by yourself. And thirdly, we were able to get great talent.
Since you were here at Fairfield as a student-athlete, what changes have you seen in the student-athlete?
It’s a lot different now. Players today, you have to explain why you’re doing something. Before, it was more like a dictatorship. I think it’s better today; students want to know why you are doing something. You have to be more rational with them. I think players are a little more sensitive today. So you have to, as a coach, not explain everything you do, but you have to tell them this is why we’re doing this. You have to treat them well. In the old days, coaches could sometimes treat players rottenly…Today you have to be more sensitive and treat kids with respect.
There’s a saying that the more you praise a player, the better their hearing gets. Even if you’re correcting them, still be positive. Don’t beat them down; you want them to feel pretty good rather than dehumanizing a guy. I think that’s important today.
Leave a Reply