Jim Boylan

[keefe]

I'm at my gym working out when a guy I always make small talk with notices my beat up old MU T-shirt and asks if I know Jim Boylan. Turns out he is the Head Coach of the Bellevue HS Boys Basketball Team. Chris got a scholarship to play at New Hampshire and his coach was Jim Boylan. Chris was the UNH starting PG so Boylan spent a lot of time with him. After graduating Chris was a Grad Asst then Asst Coach at UNH before becoming a scout for the Sonics. He then went back into coaching.

Chris said he is in weekly contact with Boylan and the two remain friends. Said Boylan was probably a few years too early for that role when at UNH and he made mistakes but has clearly grown over the past 20 years. Chris mentioned that Boylan and Skiles are really tight and aligned in terms of coaching philosophy; Chris said that both have helped him in coaching and with his camps.

Chris' whole world is hoops. His dad is Bill O'Connor who was the Asst Head Coach at Providence College then the HC at Seattle U. Chris' asst coach at Bellevue is Alex Schrempf who played at UCLA and the son of Detlef. Chris has met Buzz on the circuit and thinks the world of him. Some of his comments:

- Boylan has taught him more about reading, understanding and controlling the flow of a game than anyone
- Regrets the demise of the Big East but thinks the reconstituted league built around hoops will flourish
- Thinks PC will be a major factor in the Big East
   - Has known Cooley for 20 years and is impressed
   - Cooley is wired tight into the eastern circuit and has a lot of respect
   - Keno Davis was a nightmare (PM me for details)
- Really, really impressed with Buzz: Energetic, attention to detail, passionate, genuine
   - Buzz has the most energy of any coach in the business (met Buzz through Boylan)
   - Buzz is the real deal - a genuine guy who made time for a humble HS coach (turns out Buzz knows his dad but that revelation came later)
   - Buzz is one of the 3 best young coaches in DI
- Thinks Marquette will live or die this year based on PG play. If they get better than expected PG play he thinks MU will make a lot of noise
- Likes Marquette because of Boylan but roots for PC in head to head games
- Boylan will add a lot to Brown's staff this year but expects to Skiles to be back in the game next year and Boylan will follow
- Boylan is joined at the hip with Skiles but really learned the game from a guy named Majerus

Real solid guy who clearly lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps hoops. This guy has more basketball knowledge in his little toe than I do in total.

[lurch91]

Nice, those are some pretty high complements.  Good to hear what many of us have felt.about Buzz is echoed in the basketball community.

[MU86NC]

Keefe - that is a hell of a good story...