Wednesday, June 20, 2007
New Coach
I know this is late, but by now followers of the University know we have a new basketball coach. Kirk Earlywine has been an assistant for 21 years, including six at Weber State of the Big Sky Conference.
Much has been made of the dismissal of his successor, Mike Burns, the search process and the way everything has been 'handled'. Let me just say as an 'insider', things aren't quite how they've been portrayed in the media.
This is not a criticism of the media, it's just that there is never enough time or print space to get the whole story out...and people are going to believe what they want no matter what we say. There are so many factors that happen behind the scenes that I never could see in my reporting days. I cannot divulge issues that are a part of personnel decisions, but I can say there is so much more to how things unfolded.
No sense in rehashing all of this, since it is time to move on now.
I do say that while I don't know anything about Kirk Earlywine, he seems like a good guy...hard worker, etc. But here's a nugget that will win you over if you have any doubts about him. Not long after last Friday's press conference to introduce him, I went to Carl's Jr. for lunch with a couple of colleagues. As we left, I noticed a man over by the counter that looked like the new coach. So we walked over, and sure enough, there was Kirk in sweats and basketball shoes ready to go to work - after a quick bite to eat!
The fact that he was at Carl's Jr. not long after facing the media helped him score some quick points with the group I was with that day.
Much has been made of the dismissal of his successor, Mike Burns, the search process and the way everything has been 'handled'. Let me just say as an 'insider', things aren't quite how they've been portrayed in the media.
This is not a criticism of the media, it's just that there is never enough time or print space to get the whole story out...and people are going to believe what they want no matter what we say. There are so many factors that happen behind the scenes that I never could see in my reporting days. I cannot divulge issues that are a part of personnel decisions, but I can say there is so much more to how things unfolded.
No sense in rehashing all of this, since it is time to move on now.
I do say that while I don't know anything about Kirk Earlywine, he seems like a good guy...hard worker, etc. But here's a nugget that will win you over if you have any doubts about him. Not long after last Friday's press conference to introduce him, I went to Carl's Jr. for lunch with a couple of colleagues. As we left, I noticed a man over by the counter that looked like the new coach. So we walked over, and sure enough, there was Kirk in sweats and basketball shoes ready to go to work - after a quick bite to eat!
The fact that he was at Carl's Jr. not long after facing the media helped him score some quick points with the group I was with that day.
