The Air Force men’s basketball job has seemingly become Dave Pilipovich’s to lose. It would be tough to deny a coach who was given a seven-game regular-season audition, and in the third game happened to pull off the biggest upset in the history of the program.
Pilipovich became interim coach when Jeff Reynolds was fired on Feb. 8. Athletic director Hans Mueh said he would get a legitimate chance to win the job permanently. He likes Pilipovich’s positive style and respects his basketball knowledge.
Pilipovich led Air Force to an impressive win at Wyoming, which was just a sign of things to come. When it comes time for Mueh to meet with Pilipovich after the season, Pilipovich might be smart to bring a DVD of Saturday’s 58-56 win over 13th-ranked San Diego State along with his resume.
“After today, I think it’s a giant step for him,” said guard Michael Lyons, a junior and Air Force’s best player. “Coach P is a great guy. Coach Reynolds was a great guy. Coach P is still a great guy, and we’d like to keep him around. And this goes a long way for him, this win does.”
The players have supported Pilipovich since Reynolds was fired. They have backed that up by playing hard, and well, for him.
“We’ve done a couple little things different, and I think the big thing Coach P does is he gives everyone confidence,” junior center Taylor Broekhuis said. “The coaching staff has confidence in what you’re doing, and you’re going to mess up, we know we’re going to mess up, but they can handle that and they’re going to encourage us to get better.
“I love our coaching staff right now. They’re like family to me. It would be great to have them back for our final year.”
Mueh didn’t want to discuss the topic on the record after the game. And the situation could change dramatically over the next three weeks. But at this point, hiring Pilipovich makes sense for a few reasons. He has connected with the players, and that’s not insignificant considering almost all of them will be back next year. He is part of the staff that did a good job recruiting under Reynolds, so that won’t be new to him. He has experience, at least as an assistant, having coached for 25-plus years before getting his first shot to run his own program this year. He could seamlessly move into next season, when the Falcons will have a talented senior class and a chance to make a significant improvement. And he has two good wins in three games. Air Force was 1-6 in conference when he took over.
If Pilipovich is worried about his future, he isn’t letting on. It will be a big story for the Falcons’ program the rest of the season, but he doesn’t want the attention on him. He wants his players to be the focus.
“It’s not about me,” Pilipovich said. “I’ve told the administration – and they’re great, and the people here are great – whatever happens, happens at the end. And I told the team in the locker room, no matter what, no matter where we are in 10, 15, 20, 30 years from now, they can never take this away from us. This is pretty darn good, guys. This is right there with the biggest moments in your life.
“It’s just neat, and I’m just floating right now. We’re going to work on Monday, and we’re going to work on Monday and we’ll keep playing and see what happens, and whatever happens happens. But we’re in a great spot. No matter what, we’re in a no-lose situation.”
Sound decisions are not based on emotion, nor should they be misconstrued from the comments of the game’s leading scorer after an emotional win over a ranked opponent.
“Coach P is a great guy. Coach Reynolds was a great guy” Really?!?
Then why were the players “elated” upon hearing of the impending coaching change from the athletic director?
It’s clear the Air Force players have been reenergized by the coaching change, but it’s also clear Coach P has a whopping 3-game resume where Michael Lyons has had two personal monster games in those two wins. Let’s look at the next 4+ conference games and assess the “body of work” before giving Coach P the “keys to the bus”.
Players are emotionally attached to their coaches. Current assistant coach (then player) Capt Tom Bellairs upon hearing that his then head coach Reggie Minton was not going to be renewed as Air Force Head Coach threatened to quit playing as a cadet. He thought better of it and wound up playing for the new unknown head coach, a guy named Joe Scott.
Coach P is available, convenient, and well liked by the current players. But after 3 games isn’t it a bit premature to hastily sign him up like the “other great guy” who was just fired?
I wish Coach P, his staff, and players the best of the luck for the remainder of the season. Only then should this program take a deep breath, step back, and evaluate it’s future in taking the next “big step”.
Well stated, Bird! The only thing I would add to your wise words is, the payoff still left for JR at eight hundred thousand, may play into the next coach salary
restrictions/limitations. But, I agree, a pool of 10 qualified top Assistants should be the due diligence needed in the best selection.
We are seeing the effects from a team of talented players who are be permitted to play, and are not being Coached to death..set after set after set!
Conference Tourney results and the remaining season will dictate if Coach P is earning the next level for him. I am just so proud of these Cadets for their “SPRING” back into the competition instead of just showing up at Clune. I can hardly wait for next season and a newly recharged program. Go Falcons!
And another point……I would have made Coach P the ‘frontrunner” yesterday if he had “outcoached” Steve Fisher in the win. That didn’t happen. SDSU lost because they missed too many shots. (18% from “3″, and 7 missed free throws for example).
I challenge Mueh to do a legitimate coaching search and interview process to include an interview for Coach P. What I fear is a kangaroo court, dog and pony show, simulated “due diligence” search and interview process with Coach P having already gotten the job so as to give the false appearance of having done a fair and thorough job.
Let’s not go there! We just got rid of that “mistake”.
Coach P understands the program–as does Coach Calhoun and Coach Serratore. Coach P is a winner. KEEP HIM.
Remember Matt Dougherty at Carolina after Dean Smith and then Bill Guthridge left? They won a supposedly big game against a highly-ranked (at the time) Wake Forest team and the fans rushed the court. They finished with a UNC all-time worst 8 wins the next season. Mueh better not make such a big decision on emotion, although given his history for bad decisions, I wouldn’t put it past him. By the way, don’t infer from this post that AFA will ever be in the same league basketball-wise as Carolina. Football, definite possibility. Basketball, no way! And, yes, I’m a grad, so I feel like I can say that with some basis of reference.
Simply hiring Coach P right now and failing a nationwide search would be “dereliction of duty” and a failure of “due diligence”.
Let’s hope “The Commander” has learned from his $800,000 mistake and won’t repeat it.
Bird…not getting into the hunt question as I agree, all available options should be looked at to inculde Coach P and if he comes out on top he should get the job.
Totally disagree with you on the coaching for the last game. You truely think the missed shots by SDSU’s players were just because they ‘played bad?”…ahhh…maybe it had something to do with the plan and the adjustments by Coach P, his staff and the execution on defense by our players. I really dislike when folks insinuate ‘well, they lost because they didn’t play well or shoot well’ instead of giving some credit where it is due to the team playing defense and holding SDSU 35% FG and 19% 3pt shooting. In the second half SDSU did not have an uncontested three that I remember!
Just one point of view and GO FALCONS
I counted roughly 5 uncontested shots in that game, which is fantastic. players in the right spots at the right times, and were motivated to play. give them a little credit and don’t hate on them.
The only thing, coaching wise, I haven’t agreed with is the reliance on 3-point shots when it’s apparent this isn’t a good 3-point shooting team. But, Coach P believes in his guys turning that around. The halftime adjustments they made against Wyoming were a major reason they came back to win, and I thought they did a good job against SDSU as well.
AirForceMike,
I’m sure Coach P is a great guy but he is no Calhoun or Serratore. For starters, he’s NEVER been a head coach at any level. Just like his predecessor.
Secondly, tonight’s loss vs TCU validates the need for a nationwide coaching search. Coach P may still get the job as the best candidate, but he in no way deserves this job as permanent head coach without some competition.
If Coach P played the teams Serratore plays he could win as well. Serratore beats up on Bentley, Robert Morris, Mercyhurst, AIC, RIT, Canisius, Niagara, Sacred Heart – much different than playing UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Colorado State, Wyoming and soon to be Nevada in basketball.